DUBAI, 26 July 2007 — Two men who conned an American into believing that they represented Prince Alwaleed bin Talal are undergoing a trial in Dubai. The men allegedly tricked their victim into believing that Prince Alwaleed was opening a hotel in Dubai and was looking for a partner.
The men, a Nigerian and a Lebanese, had taken $15,500 from the victim. The court yesterday postponed looking into the case as some documents are still not in the court’s docket.
The incident goes back to April 24 when a 56-year-old American investor received an e-mail ostensibly from Prince Alwaleed outlining a project to build a hotel in Dubai. The cost of the project was going to be $500 million. Later the 58-year-old Lebanese man, one of the two men facing charges of embezzlement, sent a second e-mail asking him to come to Dubai.
Through a series of e-mail exchanges, the American was convinced and flew to the UAE. The men allegedly claimed they were the prince’s personal assistants and asked for $15,500 in fees to process paperwork. After receiving the payment the men disappeared. They were later captured after the American filed a complaint with authorities.
