Duo pocket Dhs99,000 in jobs scam

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

DUBAI: A businessman and a female insurance specialist who reportedly ripped off Dhs99, 000 of destitute jobseekers were refered to the Dubai Criminal Court on Thursday.

The Asian defendant, 24, and woman, 30, with the help of fugitive accomplices allegedly forged six entry permits in June last year and attributed them to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

They sent them to a Nigerian visitor, 44, (representing his friends). They and the fugitives had promised to employ his friends at both a cleaning company and a security company. He complained to the Naif Police Station.

The woman skipped court questioning. The defendant claimed he did not know the woman nor the complainant. The court showed him the forged documents’ copies. He said he had nothing to do with them and the money.  

According to the complainant, the money was collected from impoverished countrymen wanting jobs in the UAE. The jury deferred the ruling to Apr.11.

On the record, the complainant told prosecutors  he was in his homeland when he received a text message from a man (M) who claimed to be managing both a cleaning services company and a security company.

He claimed he was looking for workers provided each one first paid Dhs2, 700 (visa processing fees). “I notified 33 friends. They gave me Dhs99, 000. M gave me his Whatsapp number,” explained the complainant.

“I told him friends handed me the sum. He told me to send him copies of their IDs and passports. I told him to send me his to confirm he was the right person. He sent me copies of his passport, that of the defendant and the woman.

“I later contacted M’s Whatsapp number and the woman answered. She told me to send her their passport copies so she could finalise visa processing and tickets booking. M later told me to wire Dhs7, 000 to his bank account.

“Days later, he told me to wire Dhs5, 000 to the defendant’s account. He later told me to wire Dhs71, 000 to the woman’s account. Later on upon his request I wired Dhs10, 000 then Dhs6, 000 to the woman’s account.”

Days later, the complainant received Whatsapp messages with attachments of visas and tickets. He on Sept.22 told his friends to head to an airport in Nigeria for the flight to the UAE. They were stopped at the airport. “The visas and tickets were fake.”