MOHRE urges caution over fake job offers, highlights five red flags

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has warned job seekers against falling prey to fraudulent job offers, identifying five warning signs that warrant caution and verification before proceeding with any employment procedures. These signs include requests to open a bank account in the job seeker's name, requests to share bank account details, requests to pay employment fees, the use of the job seeker's bank account for receiving or transferring funds, and communication limited to messaging applications while refusing to use official channels. The latest data from the Labour Market Observatory shows that more than 2.6 million interactions with clients were recorded through various official channels during the third quarter of 2026. During the same period, the Ministry sent 27.4 million text messages and emails as part of its awareness campaigns and programmes, in addition to issuing approximately 7 million account statements to companies. The Ministry has identified five warning signs that should prompt job seekers to stop and verify before proceeding with employment. The first is a request to open a bank account in the job seeker's name . The Ministry urged caution when dealing with any employer that requests such a procedure as part of the recruitment process. The second warning sign is a request to share bank account details. The Ministry said job seekers should verify the identity of the employer and avoid sharing financial or banking information with untrusted entities or through unofficial channels. The third warning sign is a demand for payment in exchange for employment. The Ministry urged job seekers to stop and verify any request for payment related to a job offer and not proceed until they have confirmed the offer and the offering entity through official channels. The fourth warning sign is the use of the job seeker's bank account to receive or transfer funds. The Ministry said this is another red flag that requires caution and verification before complying with any such request, especially if it comes from an entity or individual contacting the job seeker outside official channels. The fifth warning sign is communication limited to messaging applications , with the entity refusing to provide any official means of contact or verify the job offer through approved channels. In such cases, job seekers are advised not to proceed with the hiring process until they have confirmed both the offer and the advertiser's identity. The Ministry emphasised the importance of verifying the employer and the job posting through its official channels before sharing any data or completing recruitment procedures. It noted that it can be contacted through its call centre on 600590000, via the MOHRE UAE application, or through its website. Data from the Ministry's Labour Market Observatory revealed a high level of reliance on its official communication channels during the third quarter of 2026. The call centre recorded 1,907,676 phone calls, while the Tawasul system, which includes email, chat and WhatsApp, recorded 351,594 interactions. The Customer Voice channel recorded 350,214 interactions during the same period. This brought the total number of interactions across the three channels to approximately 2.61 million during the third quarter of 2026, confirming the availability of multiple official channels for customers to verify information, make enquiries and provide feedback. The observatory's data also showed that 27,386,573 text messages and emails were sent as part of awareness campaigns and programmes during the third quarter. In addition, 3,773 business owners participated in the Customer First Forum sessions, while the Ministry held 26 customer council meetings within the forum during the same period. The Ministry recorded 51,098 communication transactions within the preferential services package for customers, while the number of account statements issued to companies reached 7,013,360 during the third quarter of this year.