If you scored deals on flights, hotels, or desert safaris, you might be a victim of a scam. A recent investigation has revealed that Prime Experts Construction LLC, based in Dubai’s Al Nahda, executed a significant fraud scheme that has shocked many. The company bought these services using post-dated cheques that later bounced, resold them for cash, and disappeared without a trace last month.
Posing as a legitimate construction company, Prime Experts claimed they needed travel arrangements for their “employees.” They quickly earned suppliers’ trust by using security cheques and mentioning well-known partners. “They promised payment every 15 days and even provided us a security cheque which also bounced,” said Behzad Bhatti from Flyvour, a Dubai-based travel agency that lost Dh194,728 on unpaid airline tickets.
Widespread Impact of the Scam
The scale of this scam is enormous, involving hundreds of international flights from cities like London to Lahore and Muscat to Mumbai. Flyvour alone booked 201 international tickets for Prime Experts. Other travel agencies, such as Cozmo Travels and DoJoin in Sharjah’s Ansar Mall, reported losses of Dh98,000 and Dh206,000, respectively.
A representative from DoJoin shared his experience: “I went to a five-star hotel in Dubai to ask about a booking we made for Prime Expert. To my surprise, I met another guest who also booked through Prime. He showed me his invoice, which was for much less than what we charged. We felt completely helpless—there was nothing we could do.”
In addition to flights and hotels, Prime Experts booked experiences like desert safaris and visits to attractions such as At the Top, Burj Khalifa, and The View at The Palm, then resold these at lower prices.
Impact Beyond Travel Services
The scam extended beyond travel, as Prime Experts also made large diesel orders, leaving suppliers like Alpha Petroleum, Three Star Fuels, and Etemadi Fuel and Petroleum with unpaid bills exceeding Dh1 million. “They’ve broken our backs. I don’t know if we’ll ever recover from this,” said Noor from Three Star Fuels, which supplied 52,500 gallons worth Dh554,512 to Prime’s warehouse in Sharjah’s industrial area.
Now, the warehouse stands empty, and the rent is unpaid. Prime Experts only rented it for two months before vanishing, leaving transporters who delivered goods unpaid. Reza, the Iranian owner of Etemadi Fuel, who supplied 13,500 gallons worth Dh419,000, expressed shock: “The scam has hit us hard. They seemed so professional. We didn’t see this coming.”
A Familiar Scam Pattern
Following a familiar pattern seen in other scams, Prime Experts quickly resold flights, hotel stays, and fuel at very low prices to generate quick cash. Investigations found that the company had only one registered employee, and although it had been operating for nearly 10 years, recent ownership changes went unnoticed by victims. “The fact that they’d been around for a while lulled us into a false sense of security,” Behzad explained.
To create the appearance of legitimacy, the company used forged documents, including fake VAT certificates and audit reports. Reza is now considering legal action against the audit firm that provided these documents.
Victims Believe Scam is Larger
Many victims think the scam could be bigger than initially believed. “When I visited Prime’s office in Al Mozna Building, I met several other business owners. Some had supplied electronics, while others provided food items,” shared Noor.
Those who sought help from authorities were advised to take their cases to court, where high fees and lengthy processes pose additional challenges. “We’ve been told to approach the court, but fees are steep, and there’s no guarantee we’ll get our money back,” Behzad explained. “This is a huge blow to my business, and I’m not sure if I can recover from this.”
