A Filipino expat-turned-entrepreneur in Dubai is warning fellow residents about a potential scam after a suspicious encounter near Ibn Battuta Mall. The man, who requested anonymity and goes by the name Rudy, shared his experience in a Facebook post to alert others.
According to Rudy, the incident happened on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, when a well-dressed man in a suit approached him from a car, asking for directions to Movenpick. Claiming to be from Italy and in Dubai for an Armani convention, the man said he didn’t have mobile data and needed help finding his way.
“Since I wasn’t in a hurry, I checked the location on my phone and told him the nearest Movenpick is in JLT,” Rudy recounted. “Everything seemed normal until he parked his car and suddenly offered me gifts as a thank you for helping him.”
The supposed gifts included six Armani perfumes and two watches, which the man claimed he couldn’t take back home. To make the offer more convincing, he even showed an invoice detailing the high price of the items.
“At first, I really thought he was just giving them away. But then, he asked me for 3,000 AED in return. When I said I didn’t have that much, he told me to just withdraw whatever I could afford. That’s when I realized it was a scam,” Rudy explained.
Sensing the red flags, Rudy refused to give any money, and the man quickly drove away.
“DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM,” he warned in his post. “These scammers look polished and act friendly, making them seem trustworthy. They use fake generosity to pressure people into buying items that aren’t even worth it.”
Following his post, Rudy revealed in an interview with The Global Filipino Magazine that another person reached out to him, saying they had fallen victim to the same scheme.
He urged Dubai residents, especially fellow Filipinos, to stay vigilant and avoid engaging with strangers offering luxury goods in exchange for money.
