You have been warned!

A vigilant check list to protect yourself from losing your car, and becoming the next bounced-cheque victim in the U.A.E.

Ah, here we are again. Three years later, and still addressing the same pathetic scam that’s been around for a few years now in the U.A.E which is sadly still very alive and well.

If you’re new to town, I’m referring to the scam whereby a cunning mob of scammers set out to serial buy rather lavish cars with cheques that will bounce, leaving the seller cheated out of their cars and their money. (More details of this scam can be read in my initial post from 2015 found here).

Since I registered my case with Dubai Police in June 2015, I’ve met countless others in Dubai who have fallen victims to this appalling scam. The most heart-breaking story was an expat who sold his sports car to pay for his mother’s surgery, which he was obviously unable to anymore. The latest victim was a friend of a friend as recent as a couple of days ago from writing this article.

But it gets sadder.

In the past ten days, they tried to scam me again. Yes, again.

Twice!

I’ve been approached by two different scammers upon trying to sell another car. The fact that these outdated tactics are still being used is my fundamental motive to writing this article, and only means one thing: U.A.E citizens need more awareness! More people need to be exposed to this scam so that they can prevent themselves from repeating the mistakes of others!

From the many stories I’ve heard about how sellers got duped, I’ve picked up on a few common patterns that the scammers use to con innocent sellers. So it’s my moral duty to expose these tactics in an effort to help others from not becoming the next victims. As time goes on, I’ll continue to add to this list.

Without further ado, here’s the checklist of things to look out for when selling your car next:

1. If a buyer calls you at an odd hour of the evening saying they’re from a distant location, only have the next hour or so to close the sale, and ask to meet you immediately, do NOT accept! Serious buyers will never need to buy a car urgently at the last minute.
2. If/when you are willing to meet the buyer, don’t be shy to ask if they’re a cash buyer or not. This will give them a heads up that you’re not a fool, and will be on guard if they try to pull any funny monkey business.
3. If/when you meet the buyer, be vigilant if they arrive in pairs (or more) and are dressed in traditional khaleeji attire. They may also mention that they are from a prominent local family.
4. Scammers may also show up in a very nice expensive car to entice you with their wealth and social status. A Rolls Royce has been a common transportation tool, but any luxurious car brand will also do the job.
5. During the courtship, you may hear stories about other fancy cars he/she owns. This is all fabricated nonsense to entice you further and tempt you to envy the “lavish Dubai lifestyle” they lead. My advice is have fun with it and test them out :) Ask questions. Poke holes in their usually-contradictory statements. Ask to see pictures of their fancy cars. Ask for a business card to see where they work. Ask why they want to buy your car. See if the answers are coherent and make sense given the prestigious back story they just tried to sell you. My best guess is that none of it will add up.
6. At some point, the price negotiations will start. If they barely negotiate and accept your last price relatively easily, you’re about to be offered a nice fat fraudulent cheque. Wait for it. They will find some creative story to get you to accept a cheque from them on the spot, so that you may immediately proceed to transfer ownership of your car to them. For me, I like to go as far as this step to hear what wicked new plot they’re going to try and sell me on. It serves as real life recon work for articles like this. From what I’ve gathered, their tactics here always differ. Some are humorously pathetic, whilst others almost seem legit that you may want to give them the benefit of the doubt. DON’T! Whatever you do, JUST DON’T! It’s cash, and cash only, got it? :)
7. Finally, do NOT sign any documents releasing ownership of your car until you are satisfied that your money has been received in full. The end goal of the scammer is to get you to transfer ownership of your car to them before you have the chance to verify your money has been secured. They will always push for this to happen on the same night as meeting you so that they can make a quick and clean getaway.

Hopefully keeping the above points in mind will help you from becoming another victim and losing the car you spent blood, sweat, and tears to pay off. Be smart. Take extra precautions, and you should be fine. Honest buyers will understand and respect your caution, so don’t worry about offending anyone.

Please spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues in the U.A.E. There’s truly nothing worse than that mortifying moment you realize you’ve just been scammed. Hopefully one day I’ll learn that this article has saved at least one person from the dismay that comes from falling victim.

Thanks for reading and helping create more awareness.

For those interested in knowing how far my case has come in the last 3 years:
The guy who conned me is now in jail, and has been so since October 2015. I’ve been informed that he’s pulled over thirty similar scams since he kicked off his adventures with me in June 2015. As an added measure to securing my money “one day”, I’ve also obtained a civil court case ruling in my favour for the full amount he owes me (plus expenses). I’m promised he will remain behind bars until he can settle all his dues. So, now we wait :)