6 men steal Dh6.2m from Dubai businesswoman's account

Dubai - The defendants have been charged with different counts of fraud and embezzlement.

A businesswoman lost Dh6.2 million from her bank account after her mobile line was fraudulently used in transactions for cash withdrawal and transfer between her bank and other banks.
The entrepreneur, whose nationality is not cited in the public prosecution records, filed a complaint after returning from a trip and discovering the huge financial loss.
In the case, which is being heard by the Dubai Court of First Instance, two Indians - a 27-year-old and a 48-year-old fugitive - are accused, with unknown others, of impersonating the woman and faking her signature when applying for a sim card replacement which is linked with the businesswoman's bank. They are also accused of forging an establishment card and two industrial licences.
The duo, together with a 26-year-old Indian accomplice, contacted the bank and managed to answer all personal questions pertaining to the businesswoman and could obtain an ATM card issued on her account. They transferred a total of Dh6.2 million from her account to their accounts at other banks.
Two other Indians (both at large, aged 39 and 38) and a 30-year-old Bangladeshi investor are accused of possessing part of the stolen cash.
The six defendants have been charged with different counts of fraud and embezzlement, forgery and use of forged documents.
A complaint was filed at Al Rafaa police station on May 20 last year. Only three out of the six defendants have been detained.
An Emirati deputy head at the bank said they were contacted by an employee at the counter-fraud section at another bank alerting them about frequent transfers from the accounts of the businesswoman to some accounts at their branch. "After reaching out to her, we learned that she did not do any such transactions. We found out that a female suspect impersonated our customer to obtain a sim card on her number which is linked with bank services, after applying for a replacement."
In his deposition to the prosecutor, the bank official said: "We don't know if any of our bank employees conspired with the suspect and leaked the customer's personal details, enabling her and her accomplices, to get a bank card, withdraw and transfer large amounts of the customer's account to the tune of Dh6.2 million." 
The trial will resume on February 3.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai