“She arrived in Dubai with a single dream: financial independence. Instead, she left broke, heartbroken, and silenced by fear.”
This isn’t clickbait. This happened recently and its rtepoted on Khaleej Times. This will be rpoeted on 28 th may 2024.
"Are you interested in a part-time job? This job is very simple. You just enter Google Maps and give a 5-star rating to some restaurants, and you will get paid. We pay Dh10-Dh400 for one task, and you can earn up to Dh 2000 per day."
This is the text messege she got. Rachel (name changed) is one of thousands of people being targeted on WhatsApp by a scam
It’s the story of Rachel(name changed), a Dubai hotelier who lost her life savings—Dh66,000—after responding to a WhatsApp job offer promising Dh2,000 a day for five-star Google rating tasks. Like many, she trusted the messenger—lost more than money.
In daily basis around thousands of jobseekers are landing different part of the world. Especially to Dubai.
The parallel rise of job-related fraud has become a serious concern. In recent years, scammers have adopted some more convincing strategies by misusing popular the parallel rise of job-related fraud has become a serious concern.
These listings appear legitimate, often mimicking real companies or offering jobs in sectors like sales, admin, accounting, and customer service.
Here’s How the Scam Typically Works:
• A job ad is posted on trusted platforms (Indeed, Bayt, Dubizzle).
• The applicant receives a call or WhatsApp message inviting them for an interview near a Dubai Metro station—in areas like Al Nahda, Bur Dubai, Al Rigga, or Deira.
• Upon arrival, the office looks somewhat professional—often a shared workspace or rented room.
• After a brief, scripted interview, the agency requests AED 200–500 as a “processing fee”, visa charge, or mandatory training fee.
No legitimate UAE employer will request payment for:
• Interviews
• Training
• Visa processing
• Job offer letters
In recently Gulf News reported about “HOW TO SPOT FAKE JOB OFFERS IN DUBAI AND PROTECT YOURSELF”. They shared their dubai policw eCrime platform, a fake job scam is when someone pretends to offer you a job, but their real goal is to trick you into giving away money or personal information. a fake job scam is when someone pretends to offer you a job, but their real goal is to trick you into giving away money or personal information.
Scammers often:
• Use fake company names.
• Create real-looking websites.
• Pretend to represent well-known Dubai companies.
Once you trust them, they may ask for payment for visa processing, training, or background checks. After you pay, the job offer vanishes—along with your money. Sometimes, fraudsters also steal personal details to commit further crimes.
How to verify a job offer
If you are offered a job in the UAE, you must obtain an offer letter issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).
The offer letter number can also be used to check the employer’s validity on the MOHRE website: inquiry.mohre.gov.ae.
How to check if the company is legitimate
• Go to the NER platform.
• Select the option ‘Inquiry about economic licences’.
• Enter the company name and select the emirate.
• Click Search to see if the company has an active trade licence.
In studies says 65% of UAE respondents feel confident spotting scams, but 56% still face scam attempts at least once a month. You can aslo report this to Ministry of Human Resources & Immigration (MoHRE). Hotline: 800 60 (available 24/7 in multiple languages) and their official website is www.mohre.gov.ae. If your are foreign national your country embassy in UAE can provide legal support and repatriation or coordinate with MoHRE. And more importantly you must keep you’re a copy of your passport, visa status, and all communication with the scammer when you visit.
In a hyper-connected digital era. Armed with awareness and verification steps can reduce risk and find real opportunities with peace of mind. Remember: in the UAE, your protection begins with knowledge and caution.
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