How to spot a job scam in the UAE
A legitimate UAE employer does not ask a candidate to pay to be hired. This guide lists the signals that should stop you, and the official channels where you can check before you send documents or money.
Signals that should stop you
- Any request for payment — visa fees, "processing", training, medical or accommodation deposits — in exchange for a job.
- An offer that arrives before any interview or assessment.
- Contact only through free email or messaging accounts, with no verifiable company domain.
- Guarantees of a visa, a salary or "100% placement".
- Pressure to decide or pay within hours.
- Requests for passport scans, bank details or Emirates ID copies early in the process.
How to verify before you respond
- Find the employer's own careers page and apply there instead of replying to the message.
- Check that the email domain matches the company's official website exactly.
- Check a recruitment agency's licence status with the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).
- Ask for the offer in writing on company letterhead, and compare it with the role advertised.
- Never transfer money to an individual.
If you have already paid or shared documents
- Stop all further payments and keep every message, receipt and account detail.
- Report the case to MOHRE and to your local police (in the UAE, via the official police channels for your emirate).
- Contact your bank immediately about any transfer.
JobNews.ae does not determine whether a specific offer is fraudulent, and never promises a job, visa, interview or salary. Apply only through verified or original channels.