UAE woman wins Dh1 million scam case using WhatsApp messages

A recent legal case in the United Arab Emirates has highlighted the power of digital evidence, as a young Emirati woman successfully recovered nearly Dh1 million (approximately $272,000) lost in a marriage and investment scam. The victim was deceived by a man who promised marriage and a shared future, convincing her to invest large sums of money in business ventures. The man claimed his mother knew of his intention to marry her, which further reassured the woman. She took out bank loans and financing in her own name, believing the funds would help raise his financial standing so he could formally propose. However, she later discovered that many of his claims were false and that he was already married. She also learned that he had used the same method to deceive several other women.

With no written loan agreements, the woman turned to the Dubai courts. The case relied heavily on a trail of bank transfers and WhatsApp messages, which took nearly a year to compile into a coherent legal file. Legal consultant Ahmed Al Zarooni, who worked on the case, noted that the real challenge was turning scattered facts, messages, and bank transfers into a complete, well-supported legal file capable of proving the truth before the court. Chat records, transfers, and documents were gathered and cross-checked by date and amount to reconstruct the full picture.

The court referred the dispute to an accounting and banking expert to examine the transfers. The expert's findings confirmed that the man had received substantial sums from the woman that he was not entitled to. This was traced through WhatsApp conversations, direct bank transfers, and a WhatsApp message in which the man apologized for what had happened, putting the amount owed at close to Dh1 million. The court ultimately ruled in her favor, ordering the man to repay nearly Dh1 million, in addition to compensation for damages, legal interest, litigation costs, and legal fees.

Al Zarooni emphasized that the most decisive piece of evidence was not a bank statement or paper document, but the WhatsApp conversations between the two parties, which included clear acknowledgements from the man that he had received the money and was committed to repaying it. He added that proof in such cases can even take the form of an implicit admission in the other party's own words. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 35 of 2022 on Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions, electronic correspondence, including WhatsApp messages, now carries the same evidentiary weight as written documents, provided its authenticity can be verified.

Al Zarooni stated, "This case carries an important message: Trust alone is not enough in financial dealings. Documenting one's rights and keeping records of correspondence can make the difference between losing a right and recovering it." He also noted that many people wrongly assume the absence of a written contract makes it impossible to prove a financial right, a misconception this case helped dispel. The ruling serves as a precedent for the admissibility of digital evidence in fraud cases and underscores the importance of maintaining records of all financial transactions and communications.