Daijiworld Media Network - Al Ain

Al Ain, May 24: An Al Ain court has ordered two young men to repay nearly Dh15,000 to a victim after they were found guilty of using a fake mobile phone recharge website to fraudulently obtain money.

The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court also directed the accused to jointly pay an additional Dh3,000 as compensation for the financial and emotional distress caused to the victim.

According to court records, the victim filed a lawsuit after discovering that he had been deceived through a fraudulent website designed to imitate legitimate mobile recharge and top-up services.

Believing the platform to be genuine, the victim completed an online transaction before later realising that he had fallen prey to an electronic scam and lost his money.

The court found that the defendants had unlawfully acquired the funds through deceptive means and held them legally responsible for returning the amount.

In its ruling, the court observed that the victim suffered both material losses and psychological distress due to the fraud, justifying compensation in addition to repayment of the stolen funds.

The case comes amid repeated warnings from UAE authorities regarding fake websites and fraudulent digital payment platforms posing as telecom or service providers to steal money and banking information from users.

Cybersecurity experts in the UAE have continued to advise residents to rely only on official applications and verified payment portals, avoid suspicious links, and carefully verify website addresses before making online transactions.