30-year-old UAE marketing manager loses Dh39,000 through Apple Pay fraud after unauthorized device registration, with RAKBank refusing reimbursement and charging cash advance fees

Summary

A UAE resident, Ambia Hoque, a 30-year-old marketing manager, had Dh39,000 stolen from her RAKBank credit card after it was fraudulently registered on Apple Pay to an unknown device without her authorisation. The theft occurred within one hour through multiple local and international transactions, which were not flagged by the bank’s security systems. Hoque reported the fraud to the bank and filed a police case, but claims RAKBank refused to reimburse her, stating Apple Pay transactions are secure and that she must bear the loss. The bank also charged her cash advance fees on the fraudulent transactions, according to her account. Apple Pay responded that it is not a payment service and directed her to contact the issuing financial institution, while RAKBank stated it could only assist if fraud occurred within its secure systems. Hoque says she never shared her one-time password and is now facing emotional and financial distress as a result of the incident.