Dubai authorities have issued a formal security advisory alerting residents to sophisticated employment scams proliferating across social media platforms. The Dubai Police Force, through its specialized Anti-Fraud Centre, revealed an increasing pattern of criminal entities posing as legitimate recruitment agencies to defraud job seekers and employers alike.
The fraudulent operations primarily target two vulnerable groups: individuals seeking employment opportunities and households attempting to hire domestic workers. Scammers create deceptive advertisements promising visa sponsorships, employment contracts, and domestic staffing services that lack any legal foundation. These operations systematically extract personal information and illicit payments from victims before disappearing.
This warning constitutes part of the broader #BewareOfFraud public awareness campaign designed to educate residents about evolving digital deception tactics. Police emphasized the critical importance of verifying the licensing status of any recruitment service provider before disclosing personal information or transferring funds.
The alert follows multiple recent security advisories from Dubai Police regarding similar schemes. On January 4, authorities had already cautioned residents about a noticeable surge in work visa sponsorship scams. Previous warnings also highlighted fake domestic worker recruitment accounts that have resulted in significant financial losses for victims, including one case involving Dh10,000.
Official channels for reporting suspected fraud include the Dubai Police Smart Application, the dedicated eCrime digital platform, and the non-emergency police hotline (901). Authorities encourage immediate reporting of any suspicious job offers or recruitment practices to prevent further victimization.