Scam victim now facing police case
I moved to Dubai not long ago, full of hope and genuinely excited about building something here.
A few weeks in, I fell victim to a banking phishing scam — someone called pretending to be a bank rep, sent me a fake UAE banking page on WhatsApp, and I made the mistake of entering my details. Money was fraudulently withdrawn from my ADCB, Emirates NBD, and Payit accounts. I reported everything to the banks and filed a police fraud case immediately.
Now I’ve received a police complaint claiming my account was used in a visa scam involving a third party — something I had absolutely no knowledge of or involvement in. The case is showing as “proceeding to court” and honestly it’s been overwhelming.
I’ve reached out to a few legal firms, but the retainer fees are beyond what I can manage right now.
Has anyone navigated something similar in the UAE? Specifically — how do you establish that your account was compromised without your involvement? Any advice on next steps, affordable legal support, or what to realistically expect would mean a lot. 🫂🫂