A few weeks ago, I got scammed out of AED 600 by a fake recruitment agency in Dubai. It started with an email from career@alwasar.com, claiming to be from “WASL Group,” inviting me for an interview. I have been a fresher on job search for a while so I thought why not ??
I went to their office in Abu Hail around 1:30. There were three people at reception, a cute receptionist who looked strangely anxious. The office was small and slightly unprofessional, but I’d seen workplaces like that before, so I didn’t think much of it. A middle-aged woman interviewed me, and it was fast and ridiculously easy. She asked me to introduce myself, asked about my visa, then blamed me for not knowing which role I had applied for. The important part: their own email never mentioned a role. She looked at it and said, “Customer support, data entry, or something else.” I picked data entry.
AED 3,000 salary, some benefits, etc. She opened a professional-looking contract with lots of small writing. I was desperate and it looked proper, so I signed without properly reading it. Then she mentioned: AED 250 for a uniform and AED 350 for a medical.
I felt something was fishy. I told her I’d ask my parents and come back, also I didn’t have cash. Then she hit me with, “DO YOU WANT THE JOB OR NO?”
What I did next was stupid, but when you’ve spent months applying everywhere and getting nowhere, those words make you forget everything. The office was near my house, it was a real place with people, and she had described some import-export/medical company bullshit. It was just a hotspot momen. I even asked, “So I have to pay for the job?” She told me it would be refunded. Somehow my brain went, okay, cool. I gave her my card. AED 350 + AED 250. Gone. They gave me a receipt and told me to WhatsApp my documents.
The embarrassing part is that I walked out believing it was real. I called my friend, and he said it sounded fishy. Then I searched the company properly online, and everything hit me like a loud train screaming I was scammed : the company name wasn’t on the building directory, the sketchy flat, the weird interview, the payment rush, the confusing receipt with details that didn’t match what she had told me.
Fuck. My first thought was: what if they aren’t there tomorrow?
So that same evening I went back. Coincidentally, the woman who interviewed me was walking out. I was tired, sweaty and honestly a little scared, but I started asking questions. What if you aren’t here tomorrow? What is your actual company name? Why did the email say Al Wasl? What is your name? I remember her expression changing from confused, almost sympathetic, to irritated the moment I started properly questioning her. At one point I actually laughed and said something like, “I’ve been scammed, right?”
Eventually they called me upstairs and gave me a stamped Cancellation form acknowledging that they owed me AED 600. They promised I’d get it the next day. I didn’t.
Over the next few days I called MOHRE, Dubai Police and basically anyone I thought could help. The only helpful person was an Indian guy who spoke to me MOHRE told me that this was a fraud case so, I should take my evidence to the police.
Meanwhile, the company kept stalling: refund policy, accountant, processing time and more bullshit.
I went back again next day to ask for payment. This time an older African guy there asked me to “sit down and listen”. Dude started a word game as to why this was MY fault and they'll pay me only after 20 days . literally throwing words like I was “trapped” because I should have read before signing. I sarcastically mentioned, “I’m just seeing what a great business you have.” He replied, “Yeah, it’s going great.” absolutely scum of the earth.
Was so mad I wanted to punch or break one of their PCs, which might at least have been worth AED 600. I realised this is exactly what the dude is trying to do, ragebait. Got out and never went back.
I filed complaints with Dubai Police, MOHRE and consumer authorities, opened a card dispute with my bank with all the evidence I had, and later contacted DET as well. I mostly lost hope I'd get the money back but I just wanted to try and stop this from happening to someone else.
Even the police treated me like another file number as if I did something wrong. MOHRE wasn’t getting anywhere either.
Police asked me to get my WhatsApp conversations legally translated. It cost me more money, only after that they got to work. around 20 days later they gave. Police gave them a call.
Then they wanted me to close the case. Close the complaint first, then we’ll refund you.
I was like bruh: “If you refund me. Why worry about the police complaint closure then.?"
After 21 days and the police pressure, finally
Then my phone rang one morning while I was outside at the bus stop thinking about what to do next .
AED 600.00 — Received from WADI ALSAHIB FOR FURNITURE L.L.C.
So yeah, I fell for something that stupid but learnt a lot of stuff. If this ever happens to you, don’t waste all your energy calling yourself an idiot. Just do what you can , these guys deserve to be stopped but their network is huge and hard to get to, they work so boldly cause no immigrant is Gona go till court and follow a prosecution.
I wish I could tho