Dubai valet drivers accused of ‘magic ink’ fraud

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Dubai valet drivers accused of ‘magic ink’ fraud Valet drivers defrauded a Dubai hotel of Dhs 65,000 by using disappearing ink on parking tickets so they could reuse them. Police say the incident is one of series of cases they have handled this year in which criminals have used ‘magic ink’ to con their victims – the latest creative fraud technique crooks are adopting to try and stay ahead the cops in the emirate. Dubai Police said the incident happened earlier this year. The drivers would write the number plates of cars and the owner’s name on the ticket with disappearing ink to dupe the hotel over the actual number of people using the service. First Expert Fatima Abdullah from the Dubai Police Forensic Evidence Department, explained: “The amount of the ticket was Dhs35 and they were using the ink to use the ticket several times without depositing the money into the hotel safe.” The drivers would instead pocket the cash and the disappearing ink would allow them to reuse the ticket. Abdullah said the case was discovered when one of the people involved in the scam informed the hotel management following an argument with the rest of the group. “We checked the ticket with the help of radiation and discovered many names and plates numbers had in fact been written on the ticket,” Abdullah said. Police said the men were referred to public prosecution after they confessed that they had forged the ticket. Meanwhile, fraud squad officers said they have investigated three cases this year in which cheques had been signed with disappearing ink. The cases were reported to the police after banks refused to deposit the cheques. “The signature can only be seen by radiation.  With the latest technology of radiation we managed to see the hidden signature,” said Abdullah. Police urged people to be wary of these practices and seek police help in the case of suspecting any document. The force has investigated 500 suspicious documents so far this year. Colonel Ahmad Al Muhairi, director of forensic evidence department at Dubai Police said: “Signing the cheque with magic ink which disappears off the cheque is a fraud case.” Dubai Police said they have issued a request for the concerned government bodies to remove disappearing ink from the market. ali.shouk@7days.ae Read the original story at: Dubai valet drivers accused of ‘magic ink’ fraud