When a Job Abroad Turns into a Scam

I have known Kiran* for almost a year now. He works as a security guard in my apartment building, and over the past few months, our casual greetings have turned into long, and often funny, conversations. One day, he casually mentioned how he dreams of taking his family to Dubai, to see the Burj Khalifa. On asking why Dubai, he told me a tale of hopes and dreams being shattered, and vulnerabilities exploited. 

Kiran has spent his life working as a security guard and securing odd jobs across the country to keep his family afloat. Almost a decade ago, while on the hunt for a job, Kiran stumbled across a private office in his hometown in India, which specialised in sending low-skilled labourers for blue-collar jobs in the UAE. He was warned that the jobs require a great amount of toiling, but it is lucrative and there is potential for saving up a big chunk of his salary to send back home. Hopeful at this prospect of finally being able to send his children to school without constantly worrying about their school fees, Kiran pooled all his savings and even borrowed some money from his friends, collecting almost 200,000 rupees in total and paid it to the labour-corridor office. The man in charge seemed experienced –he secured a passport for Kiran and even did all the paperwork for Kiran’s visa. Kiran was especially grateful for this help. With limited English skills, he already felt overwhelmed with the idea of going to a foreign country for work. 

Kiran landed in Dubai and received instructions that once he clears immigration, he will be received by the counterpart of the labour office employee who will  take him to his new workplace. However, a different reality awaited Kiran. At immigration, he was told that his visa was a mere 7-day tourist visa and that he must leave the country within a week to avoid being detained or arrested. Kiran left the airport confused, hoping for answers from his point of contact. However, he found no one waiting for him at the arrival gate, and the given phone number turned out to be invalid. Abandoned and with no way back home, Kiran had to scramble to gather funds to buy a return flight ticket. His father borrowed more money and managed to send a ticket just in time for Kiran to come back home safely. Kiran returned to India a week later, without a single penny in his pocket, and a loan that he needed to pay off. He went to the office in his hometown, only to find it empty, with no sign that the office existed. Kiran realised that he had been scammed and he had lost his money, along with the hopes of providing his family with a brighter future. 

Kiran told me that while in Dubai, he saw the Burj Khalifa, but he wasn’t able to enjoy its grandeur. One day, he would like to go back with his family for a vacation, just to change the narrative of how he spent his time in the UAE. My heart ached for him. The labouring classes of India are often engaged in gruelling work for a salary that barely allows them to survive. To lose your financial cushion hits harder for people like Kiran, who mostly live hand to mouth, and can barely afford a decent quality of life. 

However, when I told Kiran of my research that I did for ScamWatchers and the kind of stories I read, he expressed a small sigh of relief. At least he came back home to his family, relatively safe and sound, within a week. 

Unfortunately, this is not the same experience many victims of employment-based scams face. For many, such scams result in human trafficking into scam centres, which include a plethora of labour rights and human rights violations. Physical and mental violence, entrapment, bonded labour, and blackmail are just a few of the horrifying instances that victims of scam centres suffer through. 

This is nothing short of a call to action. Kiran’s story inspired me to write for ScamWatchers . Spreading awareness about such swindles can help people be on guard against them. Keep your eyes peeled, and if you are in close proximity with someone who is at risk of falling for such suspicious activities, play your part in warning them and making them aware of the dangers of employment scams. Stay vigilant, and help us create a world where one can work for their bread and butter without risking their life to the perils of labour scams and their resultant human rights abuses.

*Name changed to protect identity