Dubai court jails man who conned jobseekers out of Dh800,000

Dozens paid agency between Dh3,000 and Dh17,000 each

After five months of broken promises, the victims registered a complaint at Al Refaa Police station in January. The accused was jailed for a year by a Dubai court.

A man who conned dozens of jobseekers out of a total of more than Dh800,000 has been sentenced to a year in jail by a Dubai court.

The Nepali accused, identified as KR in court documents, registered a recruitment agency in November 2020 at an office based on Khalid bin Al Waleed Street in Refaa.

The company sought applications from people overseas with a promise to find them a job in the UAE.

“The suspect used to collect an amount of money from the victims to issue visit visas. He used to welcome the victims at the airport and accommodate them in rented places,” said a policeman in official records.

“He kept asking them for more money to finish the recruitment procedure and then asked them to wait.”

His 59 victims, mainly from Nepal and other Asian countries, discovered they had been conned after they gathered at the suspect’s office to demand their money back.

In January, after five months of promises but no results, the victims registered a complaint against the accused Al Refaa Police station.

Records show that each had paid KR between Dh3,000 and Dh17,000.

Officers said the suspect admitted to swindling the victims. However, he denied the charges during the investigation by Dubai Public Prosecution.

The accused was referred to Dubai Courts for illegally obtaining money from 59 people.

Judges sentenced him to one year in jail and fined him Dh807,000.

The suspect will be deported after serving the jail term.

Authorities in the UAE have repeatedly advised jobseekers to steer clear of recruiters who ask for cash or payment from personal bank accounts.

People should verify companies' credentials online before interviews and ask to see their trade licences.

In September 2020, Dubai Police arrested fraudulent recruiters who exploited 150 people.

The men posted fake high-paying jobs on social media and asked candidates to send money to their bank accounts.