DUBAI: In what has become a chilling but familiar scenario, yet another trading firm has vanished without a trace after duping scores of traders in Dubai.
Conex General Trading downed shutters at their Frij Murar office in Deira on Tuesday evening after buying anything they could lay their hands on against post-dated cheques, which turned out to be duds as the company’s bank account had closed much earlier.
Filipina Sheila and Cameroon national Villa who joined the shady firm as receptionists barely a few months ago told XPRESS they had no inkling of the scam until several angry suppliers turned up at their place. “The company set up recently. They didn’t even pay our salaries,” said Sheila.
Companies hit by the scam include those that supplied dental equipment (Dh185,000); stationery items (Dh100,000); surgical gloves (Dh50,000) roasters (Dh40,000) and 1,500 polo shirts worth Dh27,000.
The car rented by Conex owners, both from Pakistan, was found abandoned. “This is more serious than a bounced cheque case because Conex didn’t even have a bank account,” said a trader. Conex’s Deira warehouse where the goods were delivered is now empty.
Since the beginning of this year, at least 30 trading companies have disappeared after using the same modus operandi to scam traders.
