MAKATI CITY, Philippines: Authorities arrested two women on July 24 over a fake Dubai jobs scam that allegedly collected ₱1.15 million from 18 applicants, the Philippine CIDG said.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Anti-Transnational Crime Unit and the Department of Migrant Workers conducted the joint operation. Officers allegedly caught the suspects accepting application documents and processing fees.
Investigators said the women were offered jobs in Dubai as yacht cleaners, yacht stewards and housekeepers. The advertised monthly salaries ranged from ₱45,000 to ₱75,000.
Applicants paid between ₱19,000 and ₱100,000 each, according to a Gulf News reported. Their combined payments totalled ₱1.15 million, or about Dh68,655.
The fake Dubai jobs scam emerged after authorities checked the offers with the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai. The office found no approved job orders for the advertised positions.
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The Department of Migrant Workers also confirmed that the suspects lacked a license or authority to recruit and deploy Filipino workers overseas. Officers seized 31 sets of applicant documents during the operation.
The women face complaints under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended and under the Revised Penal Code for estafa.
CIDG Director Police Major General Robert Morico II said the operation protected aspiring overseas workers from further losses.
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Authorities urged applicants to verify recruiters and vacancies through the department’s official channels before paying fees or submitting documents.
