Image Credit: Shutterstock

Also in this package Alert: Dubai school cautions against fake job offers

Dubai: A Dubai-based entity is warning job seekers not to fall for a recruitment scam floating around in the emirate involving their company.

DEC Dynamic Engineering Consultants told Gulf News it has raised a complaint with Dubai Police after four job seekers from Dubai, India and Kuwait contacted company officials and requested an update on their job offers.

Yousra Zouhal, vice president of Business Development and Office Support for DEC, told Gulf News that company officials were shocked when one job seeker turned up at their office last week at 7.30 am demanding to know the status of their job with the company.

Yousra Zouhal, VP – Business Development & Office Support for DEC says she was shocked to find a person in her office at 7.30 am asking an update for his job application with the company. Image Credit: Supplied

“I am a senior HR manager for the company and handling all recruitment for the company. I have not drawn a job offer for this person. In fact, I have not seen his CV in our database. Neither have I arranged an interview for this person. I knew that when he came to our company to talk about this matter, there was something grossly wrong.”

“We asked the applicant to show us their job contract and other details. To our shock and dismay, the contract was in our letter head. It is even an attested contract from Ministry of Interior (MOI). All the necessary stamps are in place. But guess what? This is fake. The contact name in the email, the email address, the website domain are all fake.”

Take a look at one of the job offers which an applicant received via email. DEC Dynamic Engineering Consultants forwarded one of the emails to Gulf News.

The job offer via email with the subject - RE: “Job Ref Number: DEC/JN20/785/UAE/ENG APPOINTMENT LETTER” reads as below.

Fake email job offer : Hackers have taken the Dubai company logo and created a fake id, website domain to sell fake jobs in UAE and world-wide Image Credit: Supplied

“Congratulations!

Following complete review of your job application and educational qualification as submitted by DEC Associate UEA Career Acquisition Agents, we are pleased to confirm that you have been selected to join DEC Dynamic Engineering Consultants - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES…

“We are delighted to make you the following offer in this position on our team, based on your previous work experience and your impressive educational accomplishments as your previous job responsibilities on this position matches our requirement for this vacant position…”

“Attached herewith, is the port-type of your Employment Letter which contains the Terms and Conditions of your Contract Package for your perusal and approval. On your review and acceptance of this contract package, sign on the last page and send back to us a scanned copy of the Acceptance (Last) Page by email….”

"Importantly, you have to contact …. UAE for the immediate engagement and acquisition of your UAE Work/Residence Permit Papers which will enable you to legally live and work here in UAE….”

“The hard copies of your contract documents have been forward to ….for reference, as they shall solicit on the preparation of your working visa resident permit from the authorities here in UAE. The same will be sent to you through courier service after all formalities have been accomplished with the UAE Authorities here in United Arab Emirates. Document required from us in line with the Expatriate Statuary Law of United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be sent to them accordingly....

"Keep us up to date with the process between you and the travel agency in case of advice where necessary, and ensure you provide them their requirements quickly for the fastest process from their office. Also remember that any expense you make for the processing of your UAE Residence/Work Permit..."

"Papers shall be refunded back to you immediately you submit your expenses report/receipt to us via email.”

The signature in the email reads from a Mr. Greg Ronald (Recruitment Manager).

Zouhal said: “If you see our website, the domain is www.decengineering.net. But in the email, the mentioned website domain is www.decen-gineering.net. In this email signature, the domain reference is not ours. Plus, we don’t have anyone by this name working as a recruitment manager in our company. The hackers have created a fake ID, fake contact person, fake website and fake domain. This has to stop,” she said.

DEC Dynamic Engineering Consultants, a Dubai-based company, claims hackers are promoting fake positions in the firm. Image Credit: Supplied

Zouhal said all job seekers have valid offers duly attested by relevant government authorities in order for them to take up jobs.

“At first to be honest, we ignored an email from a job applicant. We thought it was a hoax email. The email from the applicant read that he had been offered a post as an engineer from our company. When he showed us a copy of his email and saw the fake IDs, we knew there was a hacker involved.”

Two other people from Kuwait and India also emailed the company about their job update. “Obviously there is a hacker involved and he is a doing a great job at scamming people. We want to raise awareness to potential job seekers to not fall for this.”