Facebook job scam targets UAE with Dh30k a month offer

Online job scams are not new and, this time, another one has gathered a lot of attention and is being circulated, using the branding of the very popular Facebook social networking site.

The post (https://healthieryouguide.com/biz/) is targeting UAE residents with its scheme of making money, a good amount, that too from the comfort of your home.

The link titled ‘facebook news’ suggests that FB has now launched a ‘work from home program,’ allowing people to make money by from the comfort of their own homes.

“Facebook has now opened it’s [sic!] doors and will be hiring everyday people to work from the comfort of their own homes posting links, sharing stories, reviewing sites and more,” reads the post.

“The way this works is that people sign up to work with Facebook and other online companies. They will then receive a package which will contain all of the step by step instructions to get setup from home. You get directions immediately after signing up [sic!],” the note goes on.

“To tens of thousands of people, this means that they will soon have a chance to make thousands of ringgits [they seem to have forgotten to change the currency to UAE dirhams here] every month, from the comforts of their own home, getting paid by cheque, direct deposit and even Paypal,” the claims continue.

To entice gullible readers and desperate jobseekers, it further cites the case of a fictional lady named Asma, a mom from United Arab Emirates, who worked with Facebook in the beta testing of the said programme.

“I get paid a great deal of money just to work from home each day... and I get paid every week... I make around Dh20000 a month right now,” the website quotes ‘Asma’.

After the enticing bit is done, the website suggests jobseekers buy a home kit for Dh20. “First, you will need to apply for their work from home kits. They have released a limited amount of kits, all distributed through local websites in your area, which will cost DH 20 for processing to the public,” it adds.

The note claims that by working just 1-2 hours a day in the beginning, candidates can earn a decent income, which can go up to Dh30,000 a month.

Some of the past scams surfacing on popular networking sites have been reported by Emirates 24|7 and other publications.

A more recent one was on LinkedIn, promising an easy $25 per hour (Dh91.8) for things that many of us do to kill time.

The discussion on one of the groups on LinkedIn – Gulf Recruitment – promised to offer high paying jobs. Read: Like Facebook photos, get paid $25 per hour. Really?

“There are thousands of businesses around the world and in your local area looking to hire people just like you to work on simple tasks such as posting Facebook comments, moderating Facebook groups, uploading photos and tagging people, generating Facebook ‘likes’ and followers.

 “Most of these jobs don’t require any prior experience and the only skills you need are a good knowledge of how to use Facebook,” said the post on LinkedIn, which then took readers to a link where the money was promised.

Previous such scams should be a lesson for those who were duped by such schemes.

Those who think money, that too in thousands, can be earned this way, need to be cautious. If we could make money with just a clink (no, we are not talking about stock or forex trading), most people, with or without ordinary jobs, would be millionaires in a few years.

Remember, for every real job posted online, there are scores of fake ones, meant to entice you to hand over your hard-earned cash. It’s easy for some of the less successful jobseekers to fall prey to a job scam. Stay one step ahead of the scammers and you’ll find a legitimate job in no time.

Begin your job hunt here:

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