Don’t fall for fake job ads on Facebook
SCAMSTERS TARGET EXPATS WITH UNVERIFIED EMPLOYMENT ADS BY USING NAMES OF GENUINE DUBAI COMPANIES
Ajobseeker based in India, who was almost duped by alleged recruiters in Dubai, has warned other job hunters to be wary of unverified employment ads on Facebook.
In the offer letter received by Sajeev A, he was supposed to start work as an accountant at the Mall of the Emirates on September 24, except that the offer letter and visa application sent to him turned out fake.
“I saw the job posting on Facebook and contacted the published Whatsapp number. He told me to send my resume and other documents. After two days, he sent me the offer letter to sign and to send back via courier,” Sajeev told Gulf News, from India.
The documents were, however, returned to the sender. It was then that the recruiter told Sajeev to urgently send Rs4,050 (Dh205) to a bank account in India. Sensing something was amiss, Sajeev asked his neighbour Nabeel — who is currently working in Dubai — to help.
“My sister forwarded the offer letter and visa application to me. Taking a look at it, I felt something was wrong. I checked with Mall of the Emirates and they did say it was a scam.”
Companies react
When contacted, a Mall of the Emirates spokesperson told Gulf News: “This is a recruiting scam that has no association with Majid Al Futtaim (MAF). For recruitment purposes, Mall of the Emirates only posts official ■ job openings through MAF’s LinkedIn page using specific job numbers.”
The spokesperson added that MAF is aware of the matter and is taking necessary steps to ensure that potential job seekers are made aware of this hoax and protected from it.
The Facebook page was created in July this year. There were no other verifiable contact details provided in the page. They also posted job vacancies ■ for Citymax Hotel Bur Dubai and Dubai Airports, among others. Gulf News also received confirmation from Dubai Airports that the job postings were not authorised by them.
Aly Shariff, chief operating officer of Citymax Hotels, cautioned jobseekers as well.
“Citymax is in no way associated with such fraudulent posts on Facebook. We are firmly committed to fair and transparent recruitment and follow stringent HR compliance standards and policies. Any recruitment is routed only through Citymax’s and Landmark Group’s official corporate channels and through authorised external agencies,” Shariff told Gulf News.
“Citymax is not responsible for any posts on our behalf without verified agreements. We advise job seekers to verify the credentials of such posts in social media, and elsewhere, to safeguard their interests.”
Many job-seekers from overseas, particularly India, Nepal and Pakistan, had replied to the job posts and, like Sajeev, were told to communicate directly with the poster via Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger.
Diverting job-seekers from real job sites not only gives them false hope, but also exposes them to predators who might extort money from them or misuse their personal information.