UAE: Fake property listings, job offers; police warn against scammers trying to dupe residents

Abu Dhabi residents are warned about fake property listings on social media. Law enforcement agencies have issued an advisory to the public about renewed and evolving methods scammers are deploying involving fake property listings.

Scammers post photos of non-existent properties with attractive prices to lure victims. Once the victims show interest and deposit an advanced amount, they find themselves defrauded.

Abu Dhabi Police on Monday stressed the importance of adhering to regulations related to rental contract documentation and caution against falling for false promises of reduced rent, which are often used as pretexts for real estate scams. Prospective tenants should go through registered rental agencies.

People are urged to take the following preventive measures:

• Contacting authorised real estate offices
• Requesting intermediaries or representatives to show their Emirati ID
• Registering their statements only in authorized offices
• Providing documentation only in those offices
• Obtaining sealed receipts
• Keeping official contracts
• Ensuring that the property is registered with the relevant government sector

Recently, Dubai land authorities cracked down on misleading listings and gave real estate agents an ultimatum to remove all properties unavailable for sale or rent from their digital platforms. The Dubai Land Department gave agents a three-day deadline to remove property advertisements that are no longer up for sale or rental.

Property listing websites were asked to integrate their systems with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) website to ensure that all the listings are valid and there are no fake ones.

Job scams

Abu Dhabi Police also warned job seekers about ‘fake hiring’ schemes. Scammers hold formal events and create fake online company pages, posing as authorised recruitment agencies to fool people. They demand fees for these fake jobs, leaving applicants defrauded.

Authorities urged residents to report suspicious calls from anonymous individuals or any form of fraud by going to the nearest police station or contacting the security service at 8002626. People can also text 2828 to help the police combat these fraudulent activities and protect society.