ABU DHABI: Months after XPRESS exposed two audacious school job scams in Abu Dhabi, con artists are once again targeting school teachers seeking employment in the capital.
In a mirror image of the modus operandi used in the past, they have created a fake school website and posted lucrative job offers before asking unsuspecting applicants to pay for visa and immigration formalities through a fake travel agency.
Earlier this year, the conmen sought job applications for the non existent Howard International School in Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi High College which they claim was located on 5th Sultan Bin Khalifa Street. The racket was busted when authorities blocked the bogus websites following XPRESS reports.
No response
This time, the fraudsters have changed the school name to the Americal curriculum De Premier International School (DPIS) which, according to its website is located on 12 Karama Street in Abu Dhabi and has a total strength of 7,750 students.
There is no such school at this address. The content on the school website appears stolen.
XPRESS tried contacting the school and the travel agency listed on the websites but there was no response.
Aravinder Saini, a football coach in Bahrain is one of the appliants contacted by De Premier with a job offer for the post of physical education teacher. “I knew there was something fishy as the remuneration of Dh17,000 plus a wide range of perks was unrealistically high for an Indian school teacher,” Saini from Chandigarh, India, told XPRESS.
He said he was contacted by email by one George Kelly, the school HR Administrator with the job offer, and was asked to contact Greenlands Travels – also fake - based in Muroor, Abu Dhabi, to proceed with the visa formalities.
“I was asked to pay a total of $1,450 (around Dh5,325) towards work permit and courier dispatch fees, residence permit and entry clearance,” said Saini.
“For family visa, you will have to pay the sum of $2,680 (around Dh9,840). This will cover you and your entire family,” read the email sent by Margaret Johnson, who claimed to be the customer relations manager at Greenlands.
Johnson promised to process the work permit and visa within four working days. Applicants are told the money would be reimbursed when they reach Abu Dhabi.
It is not clear how many people have been targeted by this job scam.
ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council) has advised job seekers to log onto ADEC’s website and search the names of all private schools in Abu Dhabi that are listed. Candidates can also contact government hotline 800555 to enquire about the credentials of the school. “If the name is not listed, then it is not operating,” said a spokesperson for ADEC’s Licensing and Accreditation Section for Private Schools and Quality Assurance.
ADEC has also warned candidates against paying any money for visas or contract management fees.
YOUSPEAK: Have you been a victim of a job scam? Tell us your story.
