Dubai: Man jailed, to be deported for making illegal purchases with stolen credit card
A Dubai court has sentenced an Arab man to one month in prison, fined him Dh7,596, ordered the confiscation of the device used in the crime, and ruled for his deportation after he was found guilty of using a stolen credit card to make illegal purchases.
According to a report by Emarat Al Youm, the man was referred to the Dubai Misdemeanor Court by the Public Prosecution on two charges: unlawfully using a credit or debit card or its data to obtain funds, and unauthorised access to sensitive digital information, including bank account data and electronic payment methods.
Despite the defendant denying the charges, the court found sufficient evidence to convict him. The defendant did not appeal the verdict.
This comes just months after a similar high-profile incident in March, where a Dubai-based Asian doctor discovered her credit card had been used to make 14 unauthorised transactions totalling over Dh120,000, all while she was in the operating room performing a surgery.
In that case, the doctor told Khaleej Times she only learned about the fraudulent activity after leaving the operating theatre. She was left in shock after being held accountable for the charges by her bank, despite never having authorised the payments.
Cybersecurity experts warn that such cases are becoming increasingly common in the UAE, with some public sector institutions facing up to 50,000 cyber threats daily. But customers affected by banking fraud say they are often met with blame, silence, or harassment by debt collectors, rather than receiving support or protection.
As online transactions grow, so do the loopholes exploited by criminals. Experts urge residents to monitor their accounts closely, enable transaction alerts, and report suspicious activity immediately.
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