‘Fake investor tried to con Dubai single mother into putting up Dh200,000 for sham business’

One of three men on trial posed on LinkedIn as an Iraq veteran American soldier looking to invest his money in Dubai.

DUBAI // Three men are accused of fraud after one of them allegedly posed on LinkedIn as an Iraq veteran American soldier looking to invest in Dubai.

Metra Ibrahim Madani, Bur Dubai’s prosecutor, said the conman singled out a woman who lives in Dubai on the career-focused social media platform and convinced her that he was investing US$4.2 million (Dh15.4m) in Dubai but needed a partner from the emirate to pay fees of up to Dh200,000 to authorities.

Ms Madani said the woman reported the case to CID after being asked to transfer money amounting to Dh200,000 to a man she was given details of by the fraud soldier.

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“The CID investigation team managed to identify one of the defendants and, during questioning, he tipped his accomplices, who turned out to be African nationals. One of them whose mobile number was used to log into LinkedIn said that a friend asked to use his phone and number for a while and paid him Dh3,000 in return,” said Ms Madani.

The victim, a single mother, told prosecutors that the defendant who posed as an American soldier spoke to her for hours each day to convince her to put up money for what she believed was a profitable business that could help her raise her children.

“My husband abandoned me and my children and the soldier kept telling me about his life and memories from his days at war. He eventually gained my trust,” said the woman, whose nationality and aged were not given.

The three men involved were charged with fraud and will soon appear at Dubai Criminal Court.