Young man unknowingly helped a fraud gang transfer stolen money after accepting what appeared to be a legitimate remote job offer.
The Crime Prevention Department within the General Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police has warned against fraud gangs exploiting social media platforms and messaging apps to promote “fake part-time jobs” and deceive victims into opening bank accounts in their names. These accounts are subsequently used to channel funds stolen through fraud and reroute them to accounts controlled by the gangs.
The warning comes as Dubai Police continues to track cases of this nature under the “Be Aware of Fraud” campaign. In one such case, a young man, referred to as “S”, saw an advertisement on a social media platform for a remote part-time job that promised quick and flexible income. He applied and later received a message informing him that he had been preliminarily accepted for the job.
Dubai Police explained that the offer appeared both tempting and reassuring to the young man. The fraudsters, claiming to represent an external financial services company, asked him to open a bank account in his name or use his existing account “for administrative purposes”. The arrangement involved sums of money being transferred into his account, which he would then forward to other accounts in exchange for a fixed commission.
The Force added, “The young man complied with the fictitious company’s instructions, opened a bank account, and began receiving various sums of money. He was directed to transfer these funds immediately to other accounts under the pretext of settling transactions or processing client transfers. With each transfer, he was promised continued work and a permanent position.”
Dubai Police was able to trace the young man’s bank account and the associated transfers, after which he was called in for questioning. He confirmed that he was completely unaware he had been working on behalf of a gang. All he knew was that he had accepted a job offer from a financial services company and was carrying out tasks as instructed.
Transferring Funds
Dubai Police cautioned that this type of fraud typically begins with enticing messages promising quick income for simple tasks, before the victim is asked to transfer money under the pretext of registration fees or account activation, or to share personal and banking details. “In some cases, victims’ bank accounts are exploited in suspicious operations entirely without their knowledge,” they added.
The Force also stressed that the true aim of these criminal tactics goes beyond stealing money, extending to the theft of personal data and the use of bank accounts as tools to commit financial crimes, which may also expose the victim to potential legal consequences.
Officially Accredited Institutions
Dubai Police urged the public to verify the legitimacy of any entity offering part-time job opportunities, to never share personal or banking information with unverified parties, and to deal only with recognised and officially accredited institutions.
They also emphasised the importance of never transferring money in exchange for a job offer, affirming that genuine professional entities do not charge fees for recruitment.
Dubai Police renewed their call for the immediate reporting of any fraudulent attempts through the eCrime platform or by calling 901 for non-emergency cases. They reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to monitoring these criminal methods and strengthening community awareness to protect individuals from falling victim to such crimes.
