Dubai, UAE – In a shocking revelation, hundreds of UAE residents, travel agents, and business owners have become victims of an elaborate scam by Prime Experts Construction LLC, a Dubai-based company that has disappeared, leaving behind a trail of bounced cheques, unpaid bills, and shattered businesses.
Operating under the guise of a legitimate construction company from Dubai’s Al Nahda, Prime Experts orchestrated an expansive fraud involving everything from international flights and luxury hotels to diesel fuel and desert safaris.
The extent of this scheme has not only impacted local travel agencies and suppliers but also raised questions about regulatory oversight in UAE’s fast-paced business environment.
The scam has reportedly left over a million dirhams in unpaid bills across multiple sectors, with small business owners struggling to find avenues for recourse.
A Deal Too Good to be True
Prime Experts Construction LLC posed as a legitimate construction company needing travel arrangements for “employees” across various destinations.
The company quickly won the trust of local suppliers by presenting post-dated security cheques, many of which later bounced, and by name-dropping reputable business partners.
“Initially, everything seemed professional,” recalled Behzad Bhatti from Flyvour, a Dubai-based travel agency that lost a staggering Dh194,728 in unpaid airline tickets.
“They promised payments every 15 days and even gave us a security cheque—which also bounced,” Bhatti recounted.
The agency had booked 201 international flights for Prime Experts on routes from cities as far apart as London and Lahore, as well as Muscat and Mumbai.
For businesses like Flyvour, the financial losses incurred by this scam are monumental. But Flyvour wasn’t alone.
The DoJoin travel agency, based in Sharjah’s Ansar Mall, reported losing Dh206,000 to unpaid tickets, while another travel provider reported Dh98,000 in losses.
In total, these agencies face financial setbacks that could take years to recover from—if they can at all.
A Complex Web of Deception
Prime Experts went to extraordinary lengths to convince suppliers of their legitimacy. Besides post-dated cheques, they provided what appeared to be official VAT certificates, audit reports, and even referenced notable clients.
These documents, later found to be forged, added layers of credibility that lulled businesses into a false sense of security.
The company’s tactics were calculated and sophisticated, using its established reputation to gain trust before quickly pivoting to cash in.
A representative from DoJoin recounted a surreal encounter at a Dubai resort where he had gone to address a booking issue involving Prime Experts.
To his surprise, he met another guest claiming to have also booked through Prime Experts, showing an invoice that reflected a substantially lower rate than what DoJoin had been promised.
“We felt helpless. We realized there was nothing we could do at that point,” the representative lamented.
Many businesses have expressed similar feelings of powerlessness after learning that Prime Experts had been reselling flights, hotel stays, and tours at steeply discounted rates to unsuspecting customers.
These items, which ranged from desert safaris to exclusive tours of Dubai’s iconic landmarks like the Burj Khalifa and The Palm, were sold for cash, with Prime Experts pocketing the profits before vanishing.
Not Just a Travel Scam
The travel industry was far from the only victim. Prime Experts also placed extensive diesel orders from local suppliers like Alpha Petroleum, Three Star Fuels, and Etemadi Fuel and Petroleum, leaving unpaid invoices that collectively exceed Dh1 million.
Noor, a representative from Three Star Fuels, expressed the devastating impact of the scam on his business, which supplied Prime Experts with 52,500 gallons of diesel worth Dh554,512. “They’ve broken our back,” he said, struggling to fathom how he would recover from such a major loss.
Etemadi Fuel’s owner, Reza, also suffered a significant blow after supplying 13,500 gallons valued at Dh419,000.
“They seemed so professional. We didn’t see this coming,” Reza said in disbelief. The fuel suppliers were not only left unpaid but were also forced to cover transportation costs as Prime Experts abandoned their rented warehouse in Sharjah’s industrial area.
A Trail of Debts and Desperation
In a cruel twist of irony, Prime Experts had only rented their Sharjah warehouse for a mere two months. By the time their creditors came looking, the warehouse stood empty, rent unpaid, and no trace of Prime Experts or its management could be found.
The scam left transporters who had facilitated deliveries of fuel to the warehouse unpaid as well, creating a ripple effect that impacted even those indirectly involved in Prime Experts’ operations.
Investigations later revealed that Prime Experts had only one registered employee despite having been in business for nearly a decade.
A recent change in ownership had gone unnoticed by the company’s suppliers, many of whom were caught off-guard by the sudden shift from legitimate business dealings to outright fraud.
“It was the fact that they’d been around for a while that lulled us into a false sense of security,” Bhatti reflected, pointing out how the longstanding presence of Prime Experts misled many into believing they were safe from such deceit.
Anatomy of the Scam
According to Khaleej Times sources, Prime Experts’ approach followed a familiar pattern observed in previous fraudulent schemes.
The company would acquire large volumes of flights, hotel reservations, and fuel and quickly resell these at drastically reduced prices, generating a quick influx of cash.
They operated under an unassuming facade, with forged VAT certificates and fake audit reports backing up their claims of legitimacy.
This deception extended to potential legal liabilities as well, with Reza considering legal action against the audit firm that provided Prime Experts with these documents.
Attempts to reach the audit firm were unsuccessful, as calls and emails from Khaleej Times went unanswered.
The business model was constructed to exploit trust. “They knew how to manipulate the system,” said Noor, who mentioned that he encountered several other vendors at Prime Experts’ abandoned office in Al Mozna Building, each with similar stories of losses.
“Some had supplied electronic goods, others food items,” he said, painting a picture of a scam that potentially reached even further than initially estimated.
Limited Recourse for Victims
For those left in the wake of Prime Experts’ disappearance, the road to justice appears daunting. Numerous victims who approached UAE authorities were advised to take the matter to court.
However, the process is riddled with obstacles, including high legal fees and lengthy proceedings that do not guarantee restitution.
“We’ve been advised to approach the court, but fees are high, and there’s no guarantee we’ll recover our money,” said Bhatti, whose agency is one of many struggling to stay afloat after Prime Experts’ abrupt exit. “It’s a huge blow to my business, and I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from this.”
Questions Around Oversight and Protection
The Prime Experts scam raises concerns about regulatory safeguards in the UAE. Small businesses are especially vulnerable, often relying on assurances like post-dated cheques and security deposits without access to immediate checks of legitimacy.
The scam also highlights the need for better verification mechanisms for business owners, who often lack resources to conduct extensive due diligence on their clients.
As of now, authorities have yet to announce any official investigation into Prime Experts or its missing management, adding to the frustrations of the victims.
A Cautionary Tale for UAE Businesses
The Prime Experts incident is a stark reminder for UAE’s vibrant and fast-growing business sector to exercise caution, particularly in industries that deal heavily in cash transactions.
Victims remain hopeful that the publicity generated by the Khaleej Times investigation might encourage authorities to take action, but many worry that, without swift intervention, similar scams could continue to victimize unwary business owners.
In the meantime, those affected by the Prime Experts fraud are left grappling with the financial impact and the sobering reality of how easily trust can be manipulated for profit.
Reza, who supplied diesel to Prime Experts, put it bluntly: “They’ve left us with nothing but a lesson, one that cost us millions.”
For the affected business owners, recovering financially—and emotionally—may prove to be the most challenging aspect of this harrowing experience.