DUBAI // A man who racked up telephone bills worth more than Dh190,000 by taking out Etisalat accounts under false identities was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison.
S T, 32, from Afghanistan, was sentenced in absentia by the Criminal Court.
His scam was uncovered when a man returning from holiday in Iran noticed his company’s faxes and telephone lines had been disconnected.
“I called Etisalat to inquire and they told me I have Dh195,241 in unpaid bills. I told them it was impossible because I pay monthly even if I was outside the country,” said M Z, 30, from Iran.
The company informed him that he had applied for four telephone lines, all of which had outstanding bills.
When the company showed him the application forms he told them they had been forged.
Police arrested S T, who they believe carried out the scam with the aid of a second man, who has not been charged. The pair had used forged documents to apply for the telephone lines.
S T was sentenced in absentia. Court records did not make clear his whereabouts.
The court also ordered him to be deported after serving his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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