The Sharjah Court of Appeal has sentenced three people to one year in prison followed by deportation after finding them guilty of defrauding a man through a fake apartment rental scheme.
The court ruled that the defendants falsely claimed they had the authority to lease a residential unit that they did not own and collected money from the victim under the pretense of a legitimate rental agreement.
The court also upheld the confiscation of items seized during the investigation.
According to court records, the defendants advertised the apartment on social media at an attractive rental price to lure prospective tenants.
The victim contacted the individuals, inspected the apartment and agreed to rent the unit. He later paid part of the rental amount and submitted the required documents while waiting for the official lease contract.
One of the defendants subsequently sent the victim what was presented as an official lease agreement.
The victim later verified the document with the relevant authorities and discovered that the apartment belonged to another person and that the details in the contract did not match official records.
After realizing he had been deceived, the victim reported the incident to authorities.
The investigation led to the identification and prosecution of the three suspects.
A lower court had earlier sentenced the defendants to three months in prison followed by deportation and ordered the confiscation of evidence related to the case.
The Public Prosecution appealed the ruling, seeking a stiffer penalty.
The Sharjah Court of Appeal granted the appeal, increasing the prison sentence to one year while maintaining the deportation order and the confiscation of seized items.
