Dubai Police's Anti-Fraud Centre has issued a fresh warning about a rise in online scams targeting jobseekers with fake part-time work offers. The alert was released as part of the Ministry of Interior's "A Safe UAE Starts with Your Digital Awareness" campaign, timed to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. fraudsters typically lure victims by advertising attractive part-time positions through social media platforms and messaging apps. Police stressed that legitimate part-time opportunities are only offered by licensed businesses with verifiable identities and physical addresses, and that any offer lacking these characteristics should be treated with suspicion.
The warning urges residents never to share banking details or one-time passwords with anyone claiming to offer a job, and to avoid clicking on unfamiliar links sent through social media or messaging platforms. It also advises against paying any upfront fee to "secure" employment, a tactic police say is a common red flag. A further warning was issued against schemes asking victims to receive money into their personal bank accounts and then transfer it to a third party in exchange for a commission, a pattern frequently linked to money-laundering operations.
Dubai Police asked members of the public to report any suspicious job offers through its eCrime platform or by calling 901. The advisory, published on October 24, comes amid a broader increase in employment-related online fraud reports across the UAE, with authorities stepping up public-awareness efforts during the cybersecurity campaign this month.