Dubai Police’s Crime Prevention Department has issued a warning about organised fraud gangs using social media platforms and messaging apps to advertise fake part-time jobs, with the aim of recruiting victims to move stolen funds through their personal bank accounts.
The warning, issued under Dubai Police’s ongoing “Be Aware of Fraud” campaign, follows a pattern the force says it is actively tracking. In one documented case, a young man identified only as “S” responded to a remote job advertisement promising flexible income. After receiving a message saying he had been provisionally accepted, he was contacted by individuals claiming to represent an external financial services company.
They asked him to open a bank account, or use an existing one, for what they described as administrative purposes. His role, they told him, was to receive transfers and forward them to other accounts in exchange for a fixed commission.
“The young man complied with the fictitious company’s instructions, opened a bank account, and began receiving various sums of money. He was directed to transfer these funds immediately to other accounts under the pretext of settling transactions or processing client transfers. With each transfer, he was promised continued work and a permanent position,” Dubai Police said in a statement.
Dubai Police traced the account and called the man in for questioning. He told investigators he had no idea he was working on behalf of a criminal gang, believing he had simply accepted a legitimate job offer.
The force cautioned that these schemes typically start with messages promising quick returns for simple tasks, before escalating to requests for money transfers, registration fees, account activation payments, or the sharing of personal and banking details.
In some cases, victims’ accounts are used in suspicious operations without their knowledge at all, police said. Beyond financial loss, the force warned that individuals caught up in such schemes may also face legal exposure for facilitating financial crimes.
Dubai Police urged the public to verify the credentials of any organisation offering part-time work, to avoid sharing personal or banking information with unverified parties, and to deal only with officially accredited institutions. The force also reminded the public that legitimate employers do not charge recruitment fees.
Anyone who encounters a suspected fraud attempt can report it through the eCrime platform or by calling 901 for non-emergency cases.
