Dubai Police have urged job seekers to obtain work visas through government channels and official recruitment agencies as scammers target victims with fake sponsorship and employment offers.
The Anti-Fraud Centre at the Criminal Investigation Department warned residents against fake work visas and fraudulent sponsorship promises used by fraudsters to steal their money.
“Scammers lure victims with promises of guaranteed jobs or work visas in exchange for payment. Job seekers should only go to official and verified recruitment offices for work visas, and follow their requests,” Dubai Police told The National.
Scammers often find and contact victims through social media platforms or pose as agents or company representatives to trick their victims.
“These scammers often use fake company names, real-looking websites, or even pretend to be famous Dubai companies to make you believe the job is legit,” Dubai Police added.
“Once you trust them, they might ask for payment for visa processing, training or background checks but after you pay, the job offer vanishes and so does your money. Sometimes, they steal your personal details to commit further crimes.”
Wider campaign
The warning is part of the Beware of Fraud campaign, which also aims to raise awareness phishing attacks, misleading advertisements and other tactics used in scams.
“These scams target everyone, like students, job seekers and even experienced professionals. Falling for a fake job scam can mean losing your hard-earned money and exposing your Emirates ID or passport details,” the police added.
In a recent case, Dubai Criminal Court found an Ethiopian woman guilty of illegally obtaining Dh10,000 to issue a work visa.
Scammers face prison sentences of up to three years and a fine, under article 451 of the UAE’s federal penalties law, Hassan El Hais, legal consultant at Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates and Legal Consultancy, told The National.
“Scammers are illegally obtaining the victim’s money in such cases. They can be fined an amount of money equal to the money they obtained from the victim,” Dr Al Hais said.
He said UAE labour law regulates the recruitment and contracts of workers, whether they are based in the country or recruited from abroad.
“The law places full responsibility on the employer to cover all related costs, including issuance of work permit, the employee’s residency permit, visa fees and the airfare if the worker is recruited from outside the UAE,” he said. “A job seeker should know that he shouldn’t pay any fees of any kind to complete the procedures for issuing the work contract or work permit.”
Dubai Police said reporting the scam immediately was vital to preventing further fraud. Victims can report incidents through the force's smart app or its e-crime platform, by calling 999 or 901 or visiting the nearest police station.
“Victims should collect all evidence: screenshots of messages, emails, offer letters and payment requests. They also shouldn’t reply further to the scammer or send more money,” Dubai Police added.
Warning signs
One indication of a possible scam is receiving a job offer without having applied or been interviewed, often through WhatsApp, email or social media.
The recruiter asks for payment upfront for visa processing, medical tests, background checks or training.
The company email address ends with a free email service, such as @gmail.com, instead of an official business domain.
SV Reddy, president of the Telugu Rasamayi UAE community group, regularly helps people who are stuck in the UAE without jobs after being assured of employment by agents in India.
He outlined one scheme that authorities in the UAE have thwarted. This involved scammers opening a company in the Emirates, applying for a licence to operate and securing visas to bring workers from overseas. The company then put them to work in daily wage jobs and part-time work.
This loophole has now been shut down, with companies renewing their licences being asked to provide bank account details, proof of office address, their Ejari or rent contracts and Dewa bills for the office.
“The fake jobs are a big challenge because people pay 200,000 rupees [Dh8,000] to an agent to come here,” Mr Reddy told The National. “There are four people I have helped recently who were stuck because the company did not exist or was shut down. These fake companies get 15 to 16 visas that they use to bring people to the country.
“It is when the visas need to be renewed, they get stuck because there is no real company. The scamsters are being filtered out because now authorities are asking them for a bank statement, Ejari and Dewa proof. This is very good because strict action is being taken to prevent fraud.”
