⏱️ Scammed or unsure? 60-second plan

📌 More help: Report → · Help & support

📋 The “free visa” job offer

A recruiter on WhatsApp or Telegram offers a job in the Gulf with a “free visa” — all you pay is a small processing or registration fee. After you pay, the agent blocks you. Real employers do not charge workers for visas: in the GCC the employer bears visa and recruitment costs by law.

🤝 Job agents demanding deposits

A “recruitment agency” asks for a security deposit, flight deposit or “refundable insurance” before you travel. Once paid, they disappear or keep inventing new fees. Legitimate Gulf recruitment agencies are licensed — check the agency against the labour ministry’s registered-agent list before paying anything.

📄 Iqama & residency renewal phishing

A text says your Iqama or residence permit is expiring and links to a “renewal” page that copies the official portal. It asks for your passport, Iqama number and payment — and steals them. Renewals are done only through the official app or portal (Absher in Saudi Arabia, and the equivalent in each country), never through an SMS link.

🛂 “Your sponsor filed a complaint” trick

A caller claims your sponsor reported you absconding and you must pay a fine or “settlement fee” to clear your file. This is a fear-based scam aimed at workers who cannot easily check their status. Check your status through the official labour/immigration portal only, and never pay to “clear” a file over the phone.

🏦 Wage & “salary transfer” scams

Fake agents or “company HR” ask for your bank details or a small fee to “activate your salary transfer”, or offer to move your sponsorship for a fee. Never share your bank app login or OTP. Salary and sponsorship changes go through official employer and government channels only.