'Love scam' alert in UAE: Scammer posing as Dubai businessman dupes elderly woman of 12 million dirhams

An elderly European woman lost nearly 12 million dirhams after falling victim to a "romantic fraud" scam. The fraudster, of African descent, posed as a businessman in Dubai and emotionally manipulated her into transferring her savings.

Abu Dhabi: An elderly European woman became a victim of a “romantic fraud,” losing almost 12 million dirhams of her savings after being emotionally manipulated by a scammer. The fraudster, who was of African descent, deceived her into believing he was a businessman living in Dubai, luring her into the scam.

Brigadier Saeed Al Hajri, the Director of Cybercrime at Dubai Police's General Department of Criminal Investigation, discussed the case in a media interview. He cautioned about the risks of “romantic fraud” or “emotional manipulation,” emphasizing the significant financial and psychological harm it causes to victims.

Al Hajri recounted the case of an elderly European woman who lost her entire savings after falling victim to a scam. The fraudster, posing as an attractive young man living in Dubai, persuaded her to sell all her assets and transfer the money to him. She even moved to Dubai, only to realize she had been deceived.

Al Hajri clarified that the scammer was not based in Dubai, but actually resided in an African country. The woman, battling loneliness in her home country, became an easy target. Once the case was reported, authorities identified the scammer’s location, and the case was referred to international law enforcement, with diplomatic channels also being involved.

He compared this crime to "skinning the victims alive," highlighting its brutal nature. Al Hajri stressed that these scams are not limited to women—men also become victims, though less frequently. Scammers use emotional manipulation to gain their victims' trust, systematically depleting their wealth with precision and cruelty.