Con men are targeting people who have lost their jobs by e-mailing offers of high-paying work in the UAE.
An e-mail being sent around the world claims to be from a barrister representing the International Tourism Group-Emirates Travels, based in Abu Dhabi. It touts unspecified but well-paid work and asks for US$1,270 (Dh4,700) in processing fees - which, it promises, will be refunded as soon as the paperwork has been approved.
Mohammed Fudzail is one of those who received the phoney job offer this month, and he is warning people not to respond.
"Please be forewarned that it is a scam," he said.
The e-mail follows the usual pattern of fee-advance scams, also known as 419 or Nigerian frauds.
The "419" refers to the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with such frauds.
These scams often involve offers of generous commissions in return for helping to get large sums of money out of African countries. People who respond are asked to pay modest processing fees to enable larger sums to be transferred - which, of course, they never are.
Following widespread publicity, the scammers have apparently modified their pitch. And because of its oil wealth, the UAE has become one of the nations they often use to entice would-be victims.
Joe Wein, a software developer and campaigner against spam and 419 fraud, has compiled a list of more than 30 fictitious UAE names, titles and addresses that have been used by scammers whose frauds include fake job offers, fictitious lottery wins and concocted claims of unpaid contractors.
Mr Fudzail's fraudulent UAE job offer asked him to forward $180 for a visa processing fee, $250 for a work permit fee, $240 for a visa courier dispatch fee, $320 for a residence permit fee and $280 for "release documents", totalling $1,270.
jhenzell@thenational.ae
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Company%20Profile
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more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart