A flight attendant, who was living in Dubai to save money and return to Portugal, found her bank account drained to "zero" after a deceitful encounter.
In just 20 minutes, a Portuguese woman with €50,000 ($53.800) in savings was scammed. All it took was answering a call where she believed she had won a prize. Subsequently, her bank account was immediately plundered, as she recounted to the Khaleej Times.
A Portuguese flight attendant, who has been working in Dubai for four years, reported this week that she fell victim to a scheme, feeling "stupid" for not recognizing the scam.
The years she spent abroad were intended for saving money, with the goal always being to return home. However, everything changed after a night flight and while waiting for a call from a friend.
She received a call from an anonymous number - which she thought was her friend - and answered. On the other end was a man who informed her that she had just won €37,000 due to a partnership between Emirates NBD (the largest bank in Dubai) and a UAE exchange house, where she had been that day.
What seemed like a mere coincidence turned into a nightmare, as she followed all the steps indicated to claim the prize.
The codes and passwords were ultimately disclosed by the flight attendant, who, while being distracted, was also being deceived. As soon as she realized, she went to the police.
According to her account to the Khaleej Times, her situation is considered "gross negligence," making it unlikely that she will recover the money.
