Bank staff flees after embezzling Dh1.7 million from Dubai expat's account

Dubai - The embezzlement reportedly happened from March 23 to April 16 in 2017.

An Indian bank employee has been charged in absentia at the Dubai Court of First Instance with embezzling more than Dh1.7 million from a customer's account. Five other accused and runaway accomplices were also involved.
The court heard that the employee, who is at large, abused his post by leaking the customer's confidential details and personal identification documents and unlawfully accessing the bank's e-system to steal from the customer's account. The embezzlement reportedly happened from March 23 to April 16 in 2017.
He allegedly took advantage that the customer, an Indian national, was out of the UAE for three months and no transaction was done on his account over that period.
The six defendants are all Indians. Three of them are on the run.
A complaint was filed at Al Qusais police station.
According to public prosecution records, the employee and the other accused used a forged original passport, a forged residency visa, and a fake Emirates ID in applying for a SIM card replacement in the customer's name. They also faked his signature.
Then, they reportedly changed the customer's mobile number registered with the bank to another number. This way, they were able to run online transactions in his name, the probe showed.
They applied for a bank card replacement and a cheque book. They faked the customer's signature when they received those products, according to court records.
A counter-fraud manager at the bank said that in May 2017, they were alerted to the withdrawal of large amounts of money totalling to Dh1.7 million from the customer's account without his approval.
"That was verified after asking the customer and checking his account. He said he had come back few days prior to the complaint date. He had been away for about three months in his home country and had no idea who had run those transactions. He denied having revealed his personal details to anyone."
Several security recordings, which could be relevant to the case, were filed as part of the prosecution evidence.
The defendants are now facing charges of leaking confidential information, e-fraud, money laundering, forgery and use of forged documents, and gaining illegal access into an e-system.
A ruling will be issued on February 25.
mary@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai