Short answer: a real employer never asks you to pay to get a job, and a real job offer can be checked independently. Verify the company in an official register, contact it through contact details you found yourself, and never start work or pay for a visa on a tourist or visit visa. If a recruiter pushes you to move fast, move to a private chat app or send money, stop.
Last reviewed: October 22, 2026 · By the TAHQEEQ Editorial Team
Why job scams are growing
Job scams target people when they are most hopeful. According to FTC data reported by the Associated Press in 2025, reported losses to job scams more than tripled between 2020 and 2023, and reached about $220 million (about AED 808 million) in the first half of 2024 alone. A large part of that growth came from “task” scams, with about 20,000 people reporting them in early 2024, compared with about 5,000 in all of 2023. Many victims never report, so the real figures are higher.
In the UAE, both the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and Dubai Police have issued warnings about fake job offers and visa scams that spread through social media and messaging apps.
The 6 most common fake job schemes
1. The task or “product boosting” scam
A “recruiter” messages you on text or WhatsApp offering good pay for simple online tasks, such as liking videos or rating products. You see “earnings” growing on a website, but they are fake. To “unlock” withdrawals or more tasks, you are asked to deposit money, often in crypto. You lose the deposit and never receive the pay.
2. The pay-to-start scam
You are offered a job, then told to pay for training, equipment, a background check, a uniform or “processing fees.” Legitimate employers cover these costs.
3. The fake visa or “guaranteed job abroad” scam
A person offers a job in the UAE or another country and asks for money for a visa, contract or residency papers. Dubai Police warn that scammers use unlicensed company names or pose as official bodies. In the UAE, the employer is responsible for recruitment costs under labour law.
4. The fake check or overpayment scam
You receive a check or payment, then are told to buy equipment from “approved vendors” or send part of the money back. The original check later bounces, and you owe the bank.
5. The identity-harvesting application
An “employer” asks for your passport copy, ID, bank details or Social Security number before any interview or contract. The goal is identity theft, not hiring.
6. The impersonated company
Scammers copy a real company’s name, logo and recruiters’ profiles, but use a different email domain and contact details, so the real company never hears about the “application.”
12 red flags
- You must pay for the job, training, a visa, a contract or “registration”
- Unexpected contact by text, WhatsApp, Telegram or social media from a “recruiter” you never applied to
- No interview, or only a short chat on a messaging app
- Very high pay for very easy work and an immediate start
- Pressure (“limited places,” “reply today”)
- Free email addresses such as Gmail or Outlook used by a “company recruiter,” or a domain that differs slightly from the real company’s
- Vague job description with no clear duties, manager or location
- Requests for sensitive documents before a contract
- Payments in cryptocurrency, gift cards or to a personal account
- Work on a visit or tourist visa in the UAE. MoHRE states that a tourist or visit visa does not give you the right to work
- A signed offer, but no work entry permit follows
- The company cannot be found in the official business register
How to verify a job offer in 6 steps
- Search the company independently. Find its official website through a search engine, not the link in the message. Check that the job appears on its careers page.
- Check the recruiter. Look for a real profile with a history, connections and a matching company email address. Call the company’s main number and ask whether the person works there.
- Check the website and email domain. Use lookup.icann.org for the domain’s age. A brand-new domain for an “established” employer is a warning. Our guide on how to check if a website is legit has the full list.
- Search the offer. Search the company name with “scam,” “fake” and “complaints,” and paste a distinctive sentence from the job ad in quotation marks to see if it was copied.
- Insist on a proper interview by video or in person, and a written contract with the company’s legal name, your duties, salary, location and start date.
- Share personal documents last. Provide ID, bank details or tax numbers only after you have a verified contract and have confirmed the employer.
UAE: how to verify an offer
| What to check | How |
|---|---|
| The job offer | Check the offer’s number through the Application Status Inquiry on the MoHRE website. A genuine offer is signed by an authorized manager. |
| The company | Search its English and Arabic names in the National Economic Register. |
| The visa (Dubai) | Verify through the GDRFA website. |
| The visa (other emirates) | Verify through the ICP eChannels platform. |
| Fees | Employers are responsible for recruitment costs. Confirm official visa and entry permit fees before paying anything. |
MoHRE also says a residency visa cannot be completed from outside the UAE. The applicant must enter with a valid work entry permit. Tourist entry permits are issued only by licensed airlines, hotels or registered travel agencies. Names of websites, numbers and rules can change, so confirm them on the official government websites.
If you already paid or shared documents
- Stop all payments and stop replying to the “recruiter.”
- Contact your bank immediately if you sent money or shared bank details.
- Keep evidence: messages, offer letters, payment receipts, the phone number and website addresses.
- If you shared an ID or passport copy, watch for misuse and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze where available.
- Change passwords and turn on two-factor login for your email and job-site accounts.
- Report it:
- United States: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and ic3.gov if money was lost online.
- Dubai: call Dubai Police on 901, use the Dubai Police smart app or the eCrime platform.
- UAE employment questions: MoHRE can be reached on +971 6 802 7666, by email at ask@mohre.gov.ae or through its live chat.
- Abu Dhabi: Aman service on 800 2626.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to pay for a job application?
No. Legitimate employers do not charge you to apply, interview, train or start work. In the UAE, employers are responsible for recruitment costs.
Can I work in the UAE on a tourist visa?
No. MoHRE says a tourist or visit visa does not give you the right to work, and doing so could expose you to fines and legal action.
A recruiter contacted me on WhatsApp. Is it always a scam?
Not always, but be cautious. Verify the company and the recruiter independently before replying, and never pay or send documents on the basis of a message alone.
What is a task scam?
A scam that offers pay for simple online tasks, such as liking videos or rating products. The “earnings” are fake, and you are asked to deposit money to continue or withdraw.
How do I know if the job offer letter is real?
Check that the company is registered, that the contact details match its official website, and, in the UAE, that the offer number can be verified on the MoHRE website.
Sources
- Associated Press: Beware of scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks (July 2025, citing FTC data)
- Gulf News: MoHRE warns UAE jobseekers of fake job offers and visa scams (October 2025)
- The National: Dubai Police fake visa and job offer warning (August 2026)
- FTC Consumer Advice
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