UAE residents have been warned not to entertain offers through social media that promise to bring domestic helpers to their homes in exchange for exorbitant amounts of recruitment fees.
The Dubai Police General Command stated that they have received at least 14 reports about fradulent activities that target individuals who wish to find household help.
Brigadier Saeed Hamad bin Sulaiman Al Malik, Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station warned that these fraudsters take advantage of individuals who are desperate to find domestic helpers with a promise to bring people from other countries here in the UAE.
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“The fraudsters deluded victims by promising them to bring domestic helpers into the country in return for AED 9,000-13,000 in recruitment and administrative fees. They exploited the suspension of labor recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic, and took advantage of people’s need of help during the quarantine period,” said Brig. Al Malik.
The Dubai Police General Command urges members of the public, especially those who are looking for domestic helpers, to remain vigilant when using social media platforms and not to fall prey to cybercriminals and online scammers.
Brig. Al Malik added that Al Rashidiya Police Station recorded 14 cases where fraudsters scammed their victims for a total of AED 87,520 since the pandemic began until February of this year. “The fraudsters claimed that they could bring domestic helpers into the country despite the temporary shutdown of world’s airports due to COVID-19 pandemic,” he explained.
The Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station pointed out that these fraudsters intend to bring a domestic helper to each family with a forged contract under the name of a labor recruitment agency to gain their trust before they scam them.
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He also explained that upon receiving the reports from citizens and residents, a task team was formed to investigate the cases and successfully track and arrest suspects as well as take the necessary legal procedures against them.
The director of Al Rashidiya Police Station warned members of the public not to fall prey into the trap of online advertisements of people who pose as representatives of labour recruitment agencies promising victims with domestic helpers in record times and at lower costs than the official and registered agencies. He also advised people to resort to the official and approved entities in the country for domestic helpers to avoid frauds and scams.
