Six red flags that a UAE domestic worker ad on social media is a scam, and the legal consequences for fraudsters

Abu Dhabi: Between the lure of low prices and promises of quick recruitment, families can fall prey to fake advertisements that exploit their need for domestic workers. They may even incur financial losses that reach tens of thousands of Dirhams. While victims revealed six main reasons behind their falling into the trap of fraud, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) renewed its warnings against dealing with unlicensed entities, and announced the closure of 430 accounts on social media platforms during the past 18 months, for promoting domestic worker recruitment services without a licence, amid legal warnings of the penalties resulting from these practices, and calls to verify the accredited offices before transferring money or sharing personal data. Specifically, victims of fake advertisements for unlicensed domestic worker recruitment agencies, which promote their services through social media platforms, identified six main reasons for falling into their trap, including the lure of low prices and the desire to save, the urgent need for domestic help, the ease of access to advertisements, the difficulty of distinguishing between real and fake intermediaries, the belief that direct dealing is faster and more flexible, as well as quick trust and responsiveness to pressures aimed at completing payment. The frugality trap Victims who shared their experiences - Nader Shawqi, Mona Abdulrahman, and Majda Darwish - unanimously agreed that falling prey to fraudulent domestic worker advertisements begins with an offer that appears economical compared to the costs of recruitment through licensed agencies. Some families are drawn in by promises of domestic help at a lower price or within a shorter timeframe, without considering the risk of losing the entire amount paid or incurring additional expenses later. These offers are particularly appealing to families where both parents work, or who have young children or elderly relatives requiring care, making domestic help a pressing need that some accounts exploit with promises of rapid assistance. Iman Ahmed said she was forced to file a lawsuit to try to recover her money. Picture credit: Supplied Victims Mohamed Mandour, Mariam Osama, and Iman Ahmed explained that they were defrauded through these advertisements and were forced to file lawsuits to try to recover their money, which had been misappropriated by the advertisers. The offers initially seemed convincing in terms of price and speed of processing. They pointed out that the ease of accessing domestic worker advertisements on social media platforms contributed to their increased appeal, as families could now view photos and videos of the workers and communicate directly with advertisers via messages and chat applications, without visiting recruitment agencies. However, this ease may conceal anonymous accounts using professional-looking brand names, logos, and images, and some may even claim affiliation with licensed agencies, making it difficult to distinguish between licensed entities and fraudulent intermediaries. They pointed out that some families prefer direct dealings in the hope of bypassing procedures they believe are lengthy, or to obtain lower prices and more flexible arrangements. Then the steps of enticement begin by sending pictures of the worker and her data, then requesting a deposit to reserve her or an amount to confirm the recruitment procedures. Under the pressure of urgent need and fear of losing the opportunity or the worker moving to another family, the money is transferred before verifying the license of the entity or the existence of an official contract, only to discover later that they have fallen victim to fraud, making it difficult to recover the amounts paid. Deterrent penalties Lawyer Salem Obaid Al-Naqbi confirmed that fake advertisements promoting the provision of domestic workers in exchange for money are considered forms of fraud and deception punishable by law. Picture credit: Supplied For his part, lawyer Salem Obaid Al-Naqbi confirmed that fake advertisements promoting the provision of domestic workers in exchange for money are considered forms of fraud and deception punishable by law. He explained that the perpetrators of these crimes deliberately publish misleading offers to attract those looking for domestic workers, then demand that they transfer money, claiming that it is fees for booking the worker or completing recruitment procedures, before the victims realise that the offer is not true or that the advertiser disappears after receiving the money. He explained that Article 40 of Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cyber Crimes stipulates a penalty of imprisonment for a period of not less than one year, and a fine of not less than 250,000 dirhams and not more than one million dirhams, or one of these two penalties, for anyone who unlawfully appropriates for himself or another movable property, benefit, document, or signa