As the academic year draws near, educational institutions in the UAE are alerting job seekers to a rise in fake job ads online.
Scammers are taking advantage of the demand for teaching and admin roles, aiming to steal personal data or solicit money with false job promises.
UAE authorities and institutions stress that job seekers should verify recruitment messages via official channels and be cautious of unsolicited online job offers.
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Misleading job seekers
Institutions informed Khaleej Times about numerous fraudulent job listings falsely using their names, misleading applicants into believing in their authenticity.
Noufal Ahmed, Founder and Managing Director of Woodlem Education, stated, “We are aware of fraudulent job ads online using Woodlem Education’s name without permission, aiming to mislead job seekers and sometimes extract personal or financial details. We issue public alerts when such incidents occur and periodically as a preventive measure against scams. We remind the community to rely solely on our official website and careers page for authentic opportunities. We do not handle job offers through unofficial channels; any such communication should be seen with suspicion.”
Noufal Ahmed
Ahmed added that the school group is considering job codes to safeguard applicants, emphasizing their “commitment to transparency, trust, and protecting candidates from exploitation under our name.”
At Shining Star International School in Abu Dhabi, Principal Abhilasha Singh confirmed encountering fake job ads too. “We’ve seen cases where unauthorized sites posted fake job ads using our school’s name. These scams were meant to mislead job seekers, and we treat such matters very seriously,” she said.
Actions against fake job offers
To protect applicants, Shining Star advertises vacancies only on trusted platforms like their official website, Naukri Gulf, Indeed, and LinkedIn.
Singh noted that job ads include QR codes directing applicants to official forms, providing a secure application channel. “For us, protecting job seekers’ interests and ensuring recruitment transparency is crucial, and we are committed to maintaining high integrity standards in our hiring processes. Our HR teams also receive regular training to enhance recruitment processes and remain vigilant against fraudulent practices. Additionally, we conduct periodic checks on job sites to detect and report fake ads,” she added.
Abhilasha Singh
Singh also mentioned that the school partners with Surasa, a recruitment firm, to help secure qualified candidates and maintain the integrity of its hiring process.
Universities are also taking steps to combat fake job offers.
Saravana Kumar, Head of IT, BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, said, “We’ve encountered fraudulent job offers falsely attributed to our institution. Our HR and digital teams actively monitor online platforms to spot unauthorized job listings and phishing attempts. They are trained to identify suspicious recruitment communications and follow an internal process to report and escalate any potential fraud quickly.”
Saravana Kumar
Kumar added that the university maintains an official recruitment portal, verified social media accounts, and an HR email address to ensure applicants can access and verify genuine opportunities. “We communicate with the public through official channels — such as our website and social media — to warn against fraudulent offers, phishing attempts and provide guidance on verifying legitimate recruitment communications,” he added.
