A man is currently being detained in the UAE after he fell victim to identity theft.
The British man is under custody of the Abu Dhabi Police over loans which were taken under his name and without his permission.
The 36-year-old man, Atif Khalique flew to UAE for a job interview but was arrested four months ago as soon as he arrived in the airport for unpaid loans.
The man said he had applied for a job he found online in 2016 – which turned out to be fake. He said he was so happy when the company told him that he got the post, after which he gave important personal details for a supposed background check.
He went back to the United Kingdom to tell her fiancée, Claire Khalique about the good news. The man however became anxious when the company did not communicate with him anymore for a few months.
“I had no idea what they were really doing with my personal information. They took my personal details in order to steal my identity and obtain bank loans and credit cards in my name,” Atif said in a report on Metro.
The man said he realized that he fell as victim of identity theft.
A bank in Dubai even hired a lawyer in the UK so that they can get his assets to pay back his unpaid loans.
The battle started in 2016 and he is now married to Claire with a daughter.
Atif went to Abu Dhabi in September to watch a UFC fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Poirier only to be arrested because of several cases filed against him by banks. He was tried in absentia.
Authorities released him after the arrest but his passport is still with the UAE Police until his legal battle is over.
The wife asked the humanitarian group Detained in Dubai for help to assist Atif in his legal battle.
“How can anyone have confidence in the UAE as a destination for expat professionals, when a job application can turn into identity theft, and the victim himself is prosecuted?” the group said.
