Expat job seekers warned over UAE recruitment scams

Expat professionals looking for highly paid jobs in the UAE are being warned over recruitment scams.

Fraudsters are targeting job-seeking expats in the UAE and beyond by posing as recruiters for major international corporations. The scam is aimed at a number of UAE companies, and begins with an official-looking job offer before a request to send a recruitment or administration fee is made. Personal bank account details are also being requested.

Companies being used as bait include Etihad, Emirates, Abu Dhabi Cleveland Clinic, ENOC and Adnoc. According to a report in The National, the scams have been around for a while and are being operated by gangs both in the UAE and in other countries. Highly paid positions at leading companies are offered, with many falling victim and losing money a a result. Marks are chosen from CVs posted on employment websites by jobseekers, and cloned websites redirect jobseekers to other URLs, convincing victims they’re being offered a genuine opportunity. Fake logos and letterheads are also used, and upfront payment is demanded.

According to a representative from EY, one of the companies cloned, job scam and financial windfall scam websites have the same characteristics, with both using the same cybercrime methodology of posing as authorised entities offering genuine opportunities in order to lure victims. Convincing but fake employment contracts are signed by ‘HR managers’, and feature the company name and logo in order to exploit the high demand for expat professionals in the UAE.

According to leading cyber security company Itsec’s MD, regardless of whether a job offer is genuine or fake, it is against the law to request fees or admin costs in order to secure an offered position. The companies concerned, including Adnoc, Emirates, Eithad, the Cleveland Clinic and ENOC, have all posted scam warnings on their websites and ask jobseekers to note that correspondence is never sent from personal email accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail.