A trio of cyber criminals who duped a man into parting with more than $120,000 after telling him he had scooped a $27 million prize have each been sentenced to a year in jail.
The Iraqi victim, whose age was not disclosed in court records, was contacted on Facebook last September and told he had won the substantial cash sum from a local bank.
He then agreed to wire $123,200 for what he was told was legal fees to process the transaction, Dubai Criminal Court heard.
He later met with the Nigerian tricksters near to a five-star hotel in Dubai to collect his winnings and was shown a large sum of US dollar bills that were stamped.
As part of the plot, he was told the notes would not be accepted as legal tender unless the stamps were removed, with the gang using a mystery liquid to remove the mark.
“The men used some cleaning liquid to remove the stamps and told me they needed more money to buy more of this liquid,” said the man, who at this point grew suspicious and alerted police.
Officers told him to set up another meeting with one of the fraudsters, where police were on hand to arrest him.
Once in custody, the man revealed the location of his accomplices, who were tracked down and arrested.
One of the men was found in possession of five suitcases packed with fake dollar and Euro notes.
The offenders, aged 41, 44 and 50, were convicted of counterfeiting and fraudulently obtaining $123,200 at Dubai Criminal Court on Tuesday.
All three men, who were jointly fined Dh200,000, will be deported after serving their prison terms.
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Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
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Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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