When TJ was headhunted by a recruiter for a job in a reputable company, he was very excited, hoping to get his dream role. However, there was one hitch — he had to complete a certification to be eligible for the final round of interviews.
He began looking for ways to complete the certification but found that it was only taught in person at a handful of universities abroad. “I found only one institute teaches it online, and that was the same institute that the recruiter suggested,” TJ, who requested not to give his full name, told Khaleej Times, adding: “That should have been the red flag for me.”
The certification would cost Dh7,000. “I had to put it on my credit card because I couldn’t afford to pay that much at once,” he said.
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However, once he completed the course, the recruiter vanished. TJ said: “The headhunter’s profile was deleted from LinkedIn and there was no way to contact her. It was a terrible experience. But I believe my certification is still valid because the course material was vast and I worked really hard to pass the exam but the promise of the job vanished.”
Tricked into doing a course
TJ, who is in the media industry, is one of the several people who have been tricked into doing a course with the promise of a job, only for the ‘recruiter’ to disappear without a trace. Although the certification and the knowledge that come with it may be valuable, it is a form of deception that many job seekers are falling prey to.
“When I posted about my experience on LinkedIn, several others reached out saying they had also faced a similar situation,” said the 37-year-old. “Some of them claimed to be recruiting for companies like Emirates (airline) and AlUla.”
Similarly, Indian expat Sangeetha B, who works in the same industry as TJ, said she had the same experience earlier this year. “At the time I was in India and I was looking to move to Dubai. I was approached by a recruiter on LinkedIn, who asked me to do the same certification from the same university. However, I was in the middle of another course. A month later, when I tried to message her, the profile had been deleted. I never realized how close I came to being scammed. Luckily, I was able to find a job in Dubai a few months later and move here.”
Lucrative job offer
In a similar fashion, fresh graduate Mohammed was also asked to complete a certification to proceed into the last round of interviews. Living in India, Mohammed was hoping to get a job in the UAE when he was approached by a supposed Riyadh-based recruitment agency for the role of Financial AR and AP associate. The role was for the Dubai office of a US-based global consulting firm. The offered salary was Dh16,000 plus visa and other benefits.
After three rounds of interviews, he got an email from an employee of the recruiting firm that to be eligible for the final round of interviews, he must complete a certification in Global Islamic Banking and Finance from an e-university. It was at this point that his uncle Anwar (name changed to protect privacy) intervened.
“I knew that there was something fishy about this offer,” he said. “I have been working long enough in Dubai to know that a fresh graduate from India is not offered such a high salary unless it is a very reputed company. I checked the details about the recruitment company and the e-university. There are no contact details and no way to get in touch with them. I advised him not to waste his money on this.”
Anwar said that his nephew was disappointed with the experience. “In the beginning, he was as excited as any other youngster to receive such a good offer from such a good company,” he said. “He dreamt about a good life and career but his dreams were shattered when I began looking at everything. He has been distraught. The recruitment company called him many times but he did not pick up the phone.”
Uncommon practice
Mohammed Nasrullah, who works as the HR Manager at Sharjah-based company Sadeco Décor, said it was uncommon practice for companies to demand a certification to proceed to the next round of an interview. “The required qualifications are usually stated upfront in job postings,” he said. “Reputable companies will only approach candidates that already have the qualification they require.”
He also warned job seekers to be on the lookout for red flags. “I would advise them to be cautious of unsolicited certification requests, pressure tactics, lack of transparency, and payment demands for certifications,” he said.
“Certifications most definitely can add value to your CV if they are relevant and are from recognised institutions. However, companies check the credibility of the awarding bodies and if it is not a very credible one, it doesn’t do much to elevate the applicant’s profile.”
In the past, jobseekers have fallen victim to several scams in the UAE ranging from fake certification to being asked for recruitment fees. A very widely-known scam was fraudster recruitment agents asking applicants to pay. The money was charged under the guise of registration fees, visa costs, or insurance payments – all of which are illegal in the UAE. Some have also been asked to pay for fake certificates from reputable institutions as well as for English language proficiency tests. This is a punishable offense in the country.
Valid certification?
TJ was directed to an American-based institute that claims to issue 44 unique certifications. Supposedly established in 1957, the institute claims to be the world’s largest organisation in business management and communication with companies like Google, Apple, and Boeing in its clients list. It also lists an address and WhatsApp support number in its contact details. However, the landing page is riddled with spelling mistakes and its name resembles another well-known American institute.
The university that Mohammed was asked to do the certification from has a name similar to the first smart-university established in the UAE. A quick scan through the website throws up several red flags. There are no contact details of the university except an email. There is no information about the awarding body or the mode of delivery or how long the course is expected to take.
The certification in Global Islamic Banking and Finance is rated 4.85 out of 5 based on 80 reviews. There are a total of 90 reviews on the website, the earliest of which dates back to April 25 this year. On some days, over ten reviews have been registered.
A quick chat with the customer service executive revealed that students will be issued a “Council of Human Resources and Development of UAE accredited certificate” after completing the course. When pointed out that there is no such council in the country, the representative immediately asked for contact details so that they could “share more information by email”.
No such email has been sent to the address provided by Khaleej Times.