An Al Ain court ordered two young men to repay nearly Dh15,000 to a victim after they were found liable for using a fake mobile phone recharge website to scam him online.
The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court also ordered the pair to pay Dh3,000 in compensation for the financial and emotional harm suffered by the victim.
According to court records, the victim filed a lawsuit after discovering he had been deceived through a fraudulent website designed to imitate legitimate mobile phone top-up services.
The victim said he entered the website believing it was genuine and completed an electronic transaction before later realizing he had fallen victim to an online scam.
He later filed a civil case seeking the return of the money taken from him, along with compensation for damages caused by the incident.
The court ruled in favor of the victim after determining that the defendants unlawfully obtained the funds through fraudulent means, making them legally liable to repay the money.
In its ruling, the court said the victim suffered both material and moral damages after losing access to his money and becoming a victim of electronic fraud.
The case comes amid repeated warnings from UAE authorities about fake websites and fraudulent online payment platforms impersonating telecom and digital services to steal money and banking information from users.
Cybersecurity experts have repeatedly urged residents to use only official apps and verified payment portals, avoid suspicious links, and carefully check website addresses before conducting online transactions
