Fake company lures overseas jobseekers via bogus website
CONMEN CLONE UAE FIRM’S WEBSITE TO SEND FAKE OFFERS AND SWINDLE PEOPLE
Amid rising unemployment and economic uncertainty, who would turn down a Dh25,000 job offer for a school teacher’s position at a diversified business group in Abu Dhabi which employs 85,000 people across the region?
Besides education, the Hiba E.P Group of companies has stakes in a range of sectors, according to its website. These include construction and infrastructure, real estate, hospitality, health care, education, IT and retail. “At Hiba EP Group of companies we believe that our businesses must touch the lives of people meaningfully…” chairman Dr Elham Iesha Khadija says in his message on the company’s website. “We want to change people’s lives for the better by providing them opportunities.”
People appear to be at the heart of all of Dr Khaidija businesses. It’s just that neither he nor his company exist. The only place where they have a presence is the internet.
‘Affidavit of guarantee’
Adeel Khan and S.Kamath from India, Shamim Ahmad from Pakistan and M. Ramos from the Philippines were among those who received job offers. But there was a catch.
In order to clinch their dream jobs, the candidates had to first contact Hiba Group’s purported Abu-Dhabi based immigration attorney (sic) Mayara Dos on WhatsApp and remit thousands of dirhams towards visa processing and other charges including something described as ‘affidavit of guarantee’.
Cheated of Dh4,000
Pakistani Ahmad, 34, who was offered Dh35,000 for an IT manager’s post in Dubai said he realised he had been cheated when his job didn’t materialise even after sending Dh4,000. “Much later I came across Gulf News reports about similar scams and decided to get in touch with the newspaper,” he said.
Mayara Dos’ website was created less than three weeks ago and like Hiba, all its content is plagiarised — in this case from the website of a law firm.
Too good to be true
Adeel Khan who received an appointment letter from Hiba Group on June 14 was offered a salary of Dh17,300 besides Dh8,000 towards allowances for a chemistry teacher’s position at a school. Other benefits included a furnished threebedroom accommodation, free education for children and a car.
Filipino Ramos almost fell
for the bait. “Any doubts about the company were dispelled when I looked up their website. It was quite impressive. Who would have thought everything was a sham. Luckily I changed my mind at the last minute and didn’t pay,” said Ramos. “The biggest red flag was the unusually high salary,” he said.
Rampant racket
Fraudulent job offers are rampant in the UAE with conmen using the names of entities both real and fictitious.
According to UAE labour laws, it is illegal for recruitment agents and companies to charge job candidates and employees any fees for any part of the recruitment process or residence visa and work permit application.