A Dubai criminal court convicted a woman accused of covertly swapping an investor’s hardware wallet during a meeting, enabling the theft of the holder’s cryptocurrency; she received a two‑month jail term and deportation order. A civil ruling later ordered compensation of Dh4.3 million (about $1.17 million), underscoring UAE courts’ treatment of crypto as protected financial property.

A Dubai criminal court found a woman guilty of allegedly swapping an investor’s hardware crypto wallet during a professional meeting, allowing her to steal the victim’s cryptocurrency holdings, according to regional media. The court sentenced the defendant to two months in jail and ordered her deportation after serving the term. Subsequently, a civil court awarded the victim approximately Dh4.3 million in compensation, nearly $1.17 million, concluding that the loss constituted protected financial property under UAE law. Authorities highlighted that both criminal and civil remedies are being used to address crypto theft and to clarify legal protections for digital assets. Prosecutors and judges relied on device forensics, witness accounts, and transactional blockchain traces to link the accused to the misappropriation and subsequent transfers of funds. The case has been cited in coverage as evidence of growing judicial recognition of crypto asset rights in the region and as a signal that courts will pursue both custodial sentences and monetary restitution to deter physical and social‑engineering thefts involving hardware wallets.