Perhaps the worst thing about these scammers are how they take money from people who work hard for it. Raj (name altered for anonymity) is a doctor from India who came to Dubai like many others, for a better life and a decent job.

Raj approached online agents who guaranteed him a job only if he paid them an initial amount of AED 200 to process papers AND half of his first salary

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But the promised job is as fake as the recruitment process.

The scam begins with a message to a job seeker claiming that they have been selected for an in-person interview

A hopeful job seeker will be asked to come with their “CV and supporting documents”, they also must wear “professional decent attire.”

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The scammer then claims that you have been hired/shortlisted, and they start demanding money for the process

They claim an amount citing “paper processing.” The victim is often in a helpless situation where they have to pay the amount if it means getting a job. And then the scammer disappears, wasting your time, money, and effort.

In Raj’s case, he was hired into a clinic that refused to activate his license and labour card. He was also terminated within a year and forced to pay extra money as the company cited yet another vague reason. The case was reported to authorities, and Raj is back to job hunting.

A website lists 7 points to help identify the scam:

1. Usually, the email will not be addressed to you directly it will read something like “Dear Candidate” or “Dear Applicant”
2. The email will not mention the position you applied for, they will just say come for the interviews but never mention the positions. In some cases, they do mention the position so take note of other red flags
3. The English in the email will not be professional, it will have several grammatical errors.
4. When you quickly receive a response just after applying especially through Indeed there are higher chances that it’s a scam.
5. Most scams also ask to communicate on WhatsApp and they will send you the location and other info on WhatsApp
6. If you applied for a waiter position and the interview invitation is not from a restaurant chances are high it’s a scam.
7. Check the email they use and try to go to their website if they have one, the website will be substandard with generic content.

According to the UAE Labour Law, it is illegal for a recruiter to charge you money

Job recruiter site flowtalent.ae cites the Labour Law:

“No licensed employment agent or labor supplier shall demand or accept from any worker, whether before or after the latter’s admission to employment, any commission or material reward in return for employment, or charge him for any expenses thereby incurred, except as may be prescribed or approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.”

Anyone who is aware of companies operating in this illegal manner can report them to the MOHRE using their free helpline number 600 590000.

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