Fake employment in Saudi Arabia: Crackdown against fraudsters on the cards: ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has decided to launch a massive crackdown against fraudsters using the name of ministry for the employment purposes in Saudi Arabia particularly on social media.

Ministry’s Spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt, in an exclusive talk with APP, informed that Secretary of Religious Affairs Ministry Aftab Akbar Durrani had decided to keep Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crime Wing, Bureau of Immigration, Overseas Employment Corporation and Pakistan Telecommunication Auth-ority on board to get rid of this criminal activity and take the responsible to their logical conclusion.

He categorically stated that the ministry had no concern with such fake advertisements hiring people for Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj, Kaadmeen-e-Hajj, Emam, Naib Emam, Moazan, Khaadm-e-Masjid and other purposes alerting the innocent people seeking job opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia not to approach such recruiting agencies or individuals allegedly involved in fraudulent activities on social media.

He mentioned that these cheaters used WhatsApp numbers which were usually issued on someone else names. Mostly they suggested for medical tests from some particular laboratories which charged them on highly expensive rates, he added.

Giving the example of Aysha Lab which is situated in Chandni Chowk Rawalpindi, Umar Butt said when an applicant went there for some particular laboratory test on behalf of the fake recruiting agency, it cost him Rs 12,500 while the test’s original rate was Rs 2,500 in the market.

He said the recruiting agencies or individuals, in collusion with such laboratories, minted huge money from the aspiring candidates seeking job opportunities in Saudi Arabia. “These laboratories are equally involved in this criminal activity as they are also helping the fraudsters by generating a huge revenue for them,” he added.

To overcome this social menace, he said the religious affairs ministry had launched awareness campaigns to educate the people through print, electronic and social networking applications from time to time.

He said the ministry had also proposed the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment Corporation to start public awareness drive at their end as the subject of hiring for foreign countries pertained to them.