Dubai Police is advising citizens and residents of the UAE to be careful while using social media and to not get involved with cybercriminals and online scammers.
During the pandemic, Al Rashidiya Police Station has received 14 reports about fraud scamming people that were looking for domestic help through various social media platforms.
Director Brigadier Saeed Hamad bin Sulaiman Al Malik said, "The fraudsters deluded victims by promising them to bring domestic helpers into the country in return for Dhs 9,000 to Dhs 13,000 in recruitment and administrative fees. They exploited the suspension of labour recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic and took advantage of people's need for help during the quarantine period. The fraudsters also claimed that they could bring domestic helpers into the country despite the temporary shutdown of the world’s airports due to COVID-19 pandemic."
The people scamming others do so with the help of a forged contract through a labour recruitment agency to gain the person's trust. A special task force has now been arranged to take on these cases and to track and take legal action against scammers.
To avoid a situation like this, people are encouraged to use reliable recruitment agencies and to not fall for online advertisements.