Everyone wants a better life which guarantees a quality standard of living, free and portable health care, good education for their kids, and above all permanent residency. Hence, the upsurge in immigration application to some designated countries.
However, you and I know that some unscrupulous individuals have tried to hijack the system and deprive unsuspecting people in UAE of their hard-earned money. From my research and direct interview with victims, over ten notable companies have been indicted within the past three years.
I will keep the identities of these agencies anonymous (the rule of fair play). Nevertheless, with several years of experience as a consultant, and with the information I have gathered from several sources, I shall show you all these tricks and how to avoid them.
Urgent Work Permit, no interview required, and juicy job Offers that seem too high or tempting
No doubt, this is the most common scams that have gradually encroached the UAE. This is how they operate:
- – After a week or two, they provide you with a job offer with an inundating salary. These are tactics to manipulate your human psychology to subscribe for the best.
- – They, very often, send the message across using free email providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, and other free email services. (they are daft, they cannot even afford a paid email domain).
- – They persuade you with a high level of urgency to make an installment payment to process the visa or permit, else, you will lose the job to another candidate. Be careful, importance, and scarcity is one of the psychological tricks to manipulate a man to act before he thinks.
So, it all begins from there: after you make such payment, you will wait till eternity for the same job offer that you were forced to accept with urgency.
What is my advice here?
Caution! Especially with agencies that promise work permit in countries where obtaining a work visa seems quite challenging. To avoid playing a game of psychological manipulation, work with certified immigration companies in UAE.
2: The promise of refund after a year / Pay now or Lose Vital Points
Australia or Canada immigration from Abu Dhabi or Dubai. To get our facts clear, about 80% of immigration companies in UAE offer services that involve permanent residency in these remarkable countries.
However, only about 20% of these agencies are certified by either the ICCRC or MARA. It is one thing to run an affiliate, and another to have an independent license.
A lot, if not all of these fraudulent companies will tell their unsuspecting patients to pay, and that they would get a refund after a year if the process does not work-out.
Let me make it clear to you; business is all about the exchange of product or services. A legitimate company that is willing to unleash its professionals to give you the best would not promise you such refund.
Why? Because they believe in their services, and have, over the years, garnered an indelible reputation for that.
Perhaps, the first thing you need to do is to check for the company’s certification. Legitimate companies must either be registered or have a representative lawyer who is representing them at the ICCRC or MARA.
In such an instance, the owner of the company will be inscribed under the representing lawyer as an agent. So, next time, whenever an agency or company promises you a refund after a year, please run for your dear cash.
Also, if you are over-pressurized to pay immediately or lose cogent points, think twice, do some background verification before you make a decision.
A transparent company, irrespective of the fact that they are seeking for clients, would always give you time to think about your decision.
Be Careful of Social Media Adverts
Truly, our social media today has become a tool of information and misinformation. Depending on your level of consciousness, you can fall into any of those two categories.
My heart bleeds most times when I log into my Facebook or Instagram account, and see postings that are malicious and misleading from some acclaimed immigration companies. I must state here that many of these posts are fraudulent.
A common trend I observe among them are the ones promising either Job offers or work permits in foreign countries. You must realize that the people behind these scams understand that many people are seeking for jobs in UAE, and social media platforms can be a useful tool for extortion.
Therefore, they exploit these odds by posting fake, tempting job offers, or work permits that will lure unsuspecting residents into contacting their services.
If I advise you, I will suggest that you desist from having a negotiation with someone on social media. Instead, insist on meeting them directly, in their office, and also, request for details of their company address and website.
With this information, you can make your background research before visiting such consultant or company. Remember, the social space has been bastardized.
Does this imply that there are no legitimate companies on these platforms? Of course, there are a number of them, but to avoid regrets, it is better you desist from dealing directly with any immigration agent via social media.
Obscure Contracts / Ambiguity in Process / Third Party Engagement
Another means of identifying these fraudulent companies are in their contracts. I have received several complaints from clients who bitterly narrate their previous experiences to me. Most of them failed to go through the agreement properly before they gave their signature.
Sometimes, you can easily detect fraud by taking the time to read the terms. Most notably, services provided and refund policies. I would reiterate that there are quality immigration companies in Dubai (although few). The good ones will ensure they protect themselves and also protect their customers.
However, illegal or fraudulent ones are always seeking measures to put you at risk while covering-up themselves.
So, in the end, if you discover you have been scammed, it would be difficult to retrieve your money because you have signed a wrong contract.
What is the point? The terms of every contract must be clear and devoid of ambiguity in statements.
Another point to note is a third-party engagement. You want to sign-up with a person who claims to be a subsidiary of another company somewhere in Canada or the USA. What are you waiting for? Press the red button.!
Finally, always go for direct engagement. By this I mean – one-point contact with whoever you want to handle your process. Always ensure you access the knowledge of the immigration process, and remember, these people are a skilled psychologist.
In conclusion, we have legitimate Canada or Australia immigration consultant in Abu Dhabi who I can vouch for their services. One excellent characteristic of these companies is that they do not engage your case if you are unqualified. Hence, they conduct an initial assessment.
So, before you visit, remove all forms of sentiments and employ all your weapons of logical thinking as it will help you to discern facts from assumptions.
Either way, remember to stay safe and contact the relevant agencies whenever you notice any fraudulent activities in any of these companies.
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