Telco worker steals iPhone in soldier’s name

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporte

DUBAI: A telecom company’s customer service employee misused a soldier’s documents to swindle Dhs7, 000 telecom services in the soldier’s name. He has gone on trial.  

The Arab defendant, 41, a forged telecom service purchase order for a 32GB iPhone-7Plus with a SIM card of a monthly billing plan. He filled in wrong data in the company e-system, showing necessary procedure were taken. He misused the Emirates ID of the Emirati warrant officer, 32, and faked his signature on the e-purchase order document. He stored the bogus document in the e-system and swindled the iPhone and SIM card in Oct.2016.

Besides forgery, identity fraud and use of forged documents prosecutors accused him of abusing duties to swindle the iPhone (by then worth Dhs3, 400) and the SIM card which incurred a Dhs3, 732 bill, explained prosecutors.  Prosecution records showed the defendant sold it to a mobiles shop in Sharjah. It was then sold from person to person until police seized it with an unsuspecting Pakistani man. Investigations put the defendant in the frame.

The officer had already paid 3,116 to the telecom company. The defendant contacted him apologising. He refused to forgive him. The defendant has asked the Criminal Court for time to find a lawyer. Case continues on Apr.7. On the record, the officer said he visited the defendant’s workplace at a branch in Dubai and applied to change his package from that of ordinary people to that of soldiers. The defendant asked for his ID and employment card.

“There was a photocopier in his office but he walked out to another in an adjacent room. He returned and handed me my cards. A month later, I noticed that the monthly bill from the company had increased abnormally.

“It was supposed to be Dhs250 monthly. I contacted the company and complained. I was told there was nothing wrong with the transaction and that the bill was authentic. The bill increased over the next six months,” he complained.

He went to another branch inside a mall and learnt there was a phone number registered in his name. An official at the branch sent him to the former branch. There, he learnt that the number was bought with his authentic documents.

In 2017 when he wanted to obtain a replacement SIM card, the company notified him that an iPhone-7Plus was issued to him with a SIM card and that the bills he was paying were worth call charges related with the iPhone. He complained to the Bur Dubai Police Station. The defendant apologised and offered to refund in case he waived his complaint against him.