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Uae residents' holiday dreams shattered after travel firm scams 'lucky draw winners', disappears, hundreds of victims recounted their harrowing experiences, revealing collective losses exceeding a million dirhams.

Mazhar Farooqui

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Dubai resident Sneha and her son were overjoyed after receiving a call from Apollo Times Travel telling them of a free gift they had won. Sneha, who had participated in a "lucky" draw at an event in Dubai Creek, eagerly anticipated claiming the prize.

To secure the promised gift, she had to visit Apollo's Karama office. Unfazed, Sneha pondered, "What do I have to lose?" As they arrived at the second-floor office in the Al Reyami Building, the family didn't expect to fall victim to an aggressive sales pitch, ultimately succumbing to a time-share package.

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The enticing offer, priced at Dh40,000, promised an all-expenses-paid trip to the US for eight family members. Lured by the platinum package, Sneha promptly signed up. Similar predatory tactics ensnared Sivanagaraja and his wife Sowmya, who, in October last year, invested Dh28,000 in a gold membership with the promise of a world tour.

Last Saturday, Sivanagaraja, Sneha, and numerous other UAE residents visited Apollo's office seeking answers about trips that never materialised. To their dismay, it was too late — the company had shut down, and its owners and staff had vanished without a trace.

Shocked and dazed, the victims recounted their harrowing experiences, revealing collective losses exceeding a million dirhams. Among them, Dipesh (Dh41,000), Mohit Rajpal (Dh28,000), Arup Dutta (Dh25,000), K Srinivasan (Dh20,000), Abhilash Nechimattahil (Dh16,000), Pooja Srikanth Palan (Dh15,100), Ambarasu Sivamani (Dh15,500), and Vikas Singh (Dh15,000), and Rajani Chandran (Dh9,000) form a growing list of victims who have come forward with their stories of financial deception.

Dipesh had been promised a trip to Europe, Palan to Singapore and Malaysia, Mohit to Australia, and Vikas to Europe. Sachin Kumar, as recently as January 7, paid Dh6,000 for trips to Georgia and Armenia.

Even Umrah hopefuls have not been spared. Mubarak Dastagir Gavandi told Khaleej Times he paid Dh14,000 for the pilgrimage to Makkah. “Of this Dh7,000 was in cash and Dh7,000 by credit card, which I swiped in their office on January 12. Who would have thought they would shut shop three days later and disappear,” he lamented.

Rajpal said the agents were very convincing and he didn’t suspect anything was amiss. "After arriving at their office, I witnessed groups of people gathered around tables with sales agents,” Rajan recalled. “The individual who greeted me insisted that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The room echoed with thunderous claps every few minutes, purportedly to mark the closure of a deal. I didn't want to miss out. It was only later that I discovered the clap sounds were artificially generated."

Victims said that each time they tried to book a trip, they were told the slots were unavailable and that they had to wait. Excuses ranged from the unavailability of hotels to a lack of advance notice. “Barring a dhow cruise dinner and a stay at a three-star hotel in Fujairah as part of the free gift, I got nothing," said a man who paid Dh10,000.

Dubai Police have recommended that victims pursue legal action in court. However, many are hesitant due to the prohibitive costs associated with legal proceedings. Das, who had opted for a gold package, expressed his concerns, stating, "Even if we secure a favourable verdict, the question remains: who will reimburse us, considering those accountable for this deception may have already absconded?"

Apollo Times and Travels, owned by Indian proprietors, allowed its commercial licence to expire on December 11, 2023. Intriguingly, one of the credit card payments has been billed to a bus rental company. Victims believe this could lead to clues about the real masterminds behind the scam.

Rampant scam

Timeshare scams have seen a surge in recent years. Last month, Shajrah-based Royal Palm closed its doors abruptly after employing a similar modus operandi to defraud numerous residents. Ganesh Rajan, who suffered a loss of Dh10,000, revealed that he is part of a WhatsApp Group comprising victims who individually lost up to Dh150,000.

In February 2023, Royal Regis Tours and Travels shut down, leaving hundreds counting their losses. The company had sold over half a million dirhams worth of holiday packages that never materialised. Prior to this, Arabian Times Travel & Tourism LLC (Arabian TTT) defrauded approximately 200 people in a similar fashion.

Modus operandi

The scams typically start with unexpected phone calls offering gift hampers, serving as a guise to initiate a high-pressure sales pitch for time-share packages. To claim the prize, victims are enticed to attend a short presentation at a hotel with their families. Unfortunately, these presentations often extend for hours, featuring 'selling' tactics that lead many residents to succumb to the companies' promises. These assurances include lifetime memberships promising access to premier resorts and hotels globally, complimentary gym memberships, concert tickets, and other perks. However, these pledges consistently prove empty, leaving residents with nothing but regret.

Instances have also surfaced where sales agents have opened lines of credit without the client's knowledge or consent or made them sign contracts under duress.

"I had hoped to be strolling along the cobbled streets of Paris right now," rued an unnamed victim of Apollo Times. "Instead, I find myself scrambling to recover my money, a far cry from the dream I was sold."

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UAE residents lose thousands to tour operator accused of fraud

Victims file police complaint against dubai-based travel company after at least half a million dirhams lost.

A group of victims filed a police complaint against a tour and travel company after losing tens of thousands of dirhams each. Photo: Wei Choon Yean

Scores of people have claimed they have been swindled out of thousands of dirhams by a holiday company in Dubai.

Victims of the potential fraud interviewed by The National alleged that Dubai-based Royal Regis Tours and Travels disappeared with more than half a million dirhams worth of holiday packages that did not materialise.

Many said they paid Dh10,000 to Dh30,000 as a one-time payment for package deals that promised one free family holiday every year anywhere in the world, discounted hotel rates, free gym memberships and concert tickets, among other perks.

The total number of potential victims is not known but more people are coming forward.

The victims of the accused operator came together on social media and have jointly filed a police case against the company.

They have also approached the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, which regulates the industry. The authorities are aware of the case but did not comment further.

The company’s office in Al Mamzar Centre on Al Ittihad Road has been closed since the alleged scam came to light. The mobile phones of their sales agents were switched-off when The National repeatedly called.

In a series of interviews with The National , alleged victims all pointed to what they believe is a scam.

A raffle prize was used to entice families to gather at a hotel and pay up.

They were given a compelling marketing presentation and were asked to sign-up for holiday deals and prizes worth Dh10,000 to Dh30,000.

By the time people realised they might be victims of a scam, the company and its dozens of sales staff and managers vanished.

“I lost Dh28,000. I took the membership because I wanted to take my children on holiday. That was my weak spot and that is where they hit,” Wei Choon Yean, a Canadian expat in Dubai, who works as a retail manager, told The National.

Mr Yean said the sales agents were so convincing and friendly that he did not "blink an eye" before swiping his credit card to make a full payment.

“In fact, they made it look like a celebration with balloons and people clapping for us when I signed up. They said it was the best decision I had ever taken for my family. I did not know I was walking into a trap," he said.

Mr Yean said his ordeal began when he casually filled up a raffle ticket at a counter during a sales event at the World Trade Centre in April last year, and later got a call about winning the prize.

“When my wife and I went to a hotel to claim it, they invited us for a presentation about holiday packages the company offered," he said.

“There were several families and half a dozen employees including managers of the tour company. Everything they showed looked like a perfect dream. My contract has seven days of a free stay at any four-star property in the world every year plus many other offers.”

As frequent travellers, the deal appeared good value for money for Mr Yean and his wife.

“If we signed up on the same day, they said we could even get a free holiday for a couple and children who could accompany us at half the cost. We were so enticed and signed up for an emerald package that cost Dh28,000,” he said.

But in the coming months, several attempts to use the offer did not materialise, Mr Yean claimed, and the company staff kept making excuses such as the unavailability of hotels and lack of advance notice.

Several of his emails went unanswered for months.

“That is when I started Googling the company and saw complaints posted by many others. I thought I would never get scammed and that was the biggest mistake on my side,” said Mr Yean.

Same plot but different victims

His story corroborated that of an Indian couple in Dubai, Paromita and Indrajit. The couple, who did not want to reveal their full names, said they signed up for the deal in August 2022 because they were desperate to travel after the pandemic .

“I think they played on that psyche where people were frustrated with the Covid-19 restrictions,” said Paromita.

The couple paid Dh20,500 for a ‘sapphire package’ that came with free seven days stay and a string of other benefits.

“In November, we did get a free night’s stay in Abu Dhabi and they also offered us a free ticket to a music concert in Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai," she said.

"That won our trust. But every time we tried to book a holiday, it became impossible to get a response.”

The couple said they were shocked to see the office closed when they visited in early January.

Mohammed Khan from Pakistan said he and his four other friends were duped.

“There are five of us. We had saved up money during Covid and wanted to travel together to Europe. All of us lost Dh10,000 each. We hope authorities will nab the culprits,” he said.

Moiz S, an Indian, 42, who works in the healthcare sector in Sharjah, is another victim. He claimed he lost Dh10,900.

“I have been a member since 2019. I could not use any offer because of Covid-19. But I have been pestering them with emails and calls for a trip to Georgia and India but with no luck," he said.

“When I demanded a refund, they flatly refused. It was only when I posted a comment on social media, I got connected with dozens of victims.

“It makes me angry that I lost my hard-earned money. But even worse is the feeling that I got fooled.”

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