Job scam: UAE healthcare group warns of recruitment scam

Just a month after hundreds of nurses fell victim to a recruitment scam in the UAE, Now an Abu Dhabi-based healthcare group has warned about fake job offers to target gullible aspirants.

VPS Healthcare said it noticed fake employment contracts were being sent out to aspirants in the name of its unit Response Plus Medical Services (RPM). Located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the northern emirates, RPM provides medical support for the oil and gas sector, chemical industries, major construction sites, and ambulance services for educational institutions, labour accommodations, and shopping malls.

Officials from VPS Healthcare said that an employment contract suggests an advanced stage of the scam by bogus recruitment agencies offering non-existent jobs.

One of the aspirants who received the fake job contract is M.C., a staff nurse at a private hospital in a south Indian state. Looking for better opportunities abroad, he had approached a local ‘agent’, who promised him a job in the UAE. A virtual interview was conducted, and an employment contract was offered via WhatsApp.

“During the pandemic, several vacancies have opened up abroad in the healthcare sector. I was trying to get a good job in the GCC. I have three years of experience as a staff nurse in India.”

The person who promised M.C. a job in the UAE conducted an online interview, following which an employment contract was sent on WhatsApp.

“As per the contract, I was offered a salary of Dh5,000, plus accommodation. I was not deceived because I tried to verify the offer. But there can be many healthcare workers who fall into the trap without checking the genuineness of the contract and claims made by the agents,” he said.

The group warned nursing aspirants and community members to stay vigilant about fake advertisements circulated by individuals or agencies claiming to be representatives or affiliates of VPS Healthcare or its subsidiaries.

Major Tom Louis, CEO of RPM, said: “There was a massive nurse recruitment scam recently. Taking advantage of the pandemic, these agents are approaching candidates promising job opportunities abroad. Jobseekers must use proper channels and should be careful not to fall into such traps.”

Aspirants have been urged not to fall prey to email correspondences from such fraudsters using free email services like Gmail, Rediff Mail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, etc and clarified that it only corresponds with applicants through official email addresses registered on its domain.

Sanjai Kumar, chief human resources officer, VPS Healthcare, said the group does not authorise any third parties to issue job offers on its behalf. It also does not collect any payment or fees of any nature from applicants.

“Please note that we shall not assume any responsibility for jobseekers acting on employment offers not made directly by VPS Healthcare. We follow a formal recruitment process through our HR department and do not solicit any payment from applicants as a pre-employment requirement. VPS Healthcare reserves the right to take legal action, including criminal action, against such fraudulent individuals or entities.”

In the past, the healthcare group has faced issues with fraudsters offering non-existent jobs in the name of LLH, Medeor and Burjeel hospitals, including Burjeel Medical City.

The healthcare group has urged people who come across such fake job offers or have information on scammers to mail the details to [email protected] or [email protected].