How to Check a Gulf Job Offer Is Real

Fear of fraud is one of the biggest reasons Pakistani workers search for help before going abroad. Our reading: many workers borrow money or sell assets to pay for the trip. A failed or fake visa is then a crisis for the whole family, not a small inconvenience.

An August 2026 report in The News says victims of visa fraud typically lose between Rs800,000 and Rs1 million each. Pakistan's FIA has also kept arresting visa-fraud gangs. Arrests were reported in July and September 2026. We have only seen those reports as headlines, so treat them as leads and not as details we can confirm.

The point of this guide is simple: a few minutes of checking, done before you pay, is cheaper than any lost saving.

MOHRE tells jobseekers to verify offers on its website or app, or through its call centre on 600 590000 (as reported by Gulf News). A genuine offer carries a serial number and a barcode. Use those two details when you check.

1. Get the offer in writing. Ask for the document, not only a chat message.
2. Look for the serial number and the barcode on it.
3. Open the official MOHRE website or app yourself. Type the address or download the app from the official store. Do not use a link the sender gave you.
4. Enter the serial number and check what MOHRE shows. (This is our description of how to use the tool; the research says genuine offers carry a serial number and barcode and to verify via the MOHRE site, app, or 600 590000.)
5. Or call 600 590000 and ask MOHRE to confirm the offer.

This route is described for the UAE. Our source material does not describe an equal check for Saudi Arabia or Qatar, so for those countries look for the official channel of that country and read our guide on the Pakistan emigration process for the steps on the Pakistan side.

MOHRE lists seven warning signs, reported by Gulf News. If you see even one, stop and check before you go further.

The list of seven flags is MOHRE's. The example in the right-hand column is our plain-language reading of each one, not extra rules from MOHRE.

Under UAE labour law, employers cannot charge workers recruitment costs, directly or indirectly (Gulf News, reporting the MOHRE warning). So a request for recruitment money from a "company" is a serious red flag by itself.

The News (2 August 2026) describes how visa-fraud networks exploit Pakistanis. The report says the following.

• Victims typically lose Rs800,000 to Rs1 million each.
• Gangs rebrand under new office names, so an office you have not heard of may be an old gang with a new sign.
• They recruit through Facebook and WhatsApp.
• When victims ask for a refund, some gang members pose as police.

The same report lists warning signs: guaranteed visas in a short time, unrealistic pay, and demands for original passports.

Notice how this matches the MOHRE list. Pressure, easy pay and money first are the same trick in two different countries.

Follow these steps in order. They combine the official routes reported by our sources with plain common sense. The order is our guidance, not an official procedure.

1. Slow down. Any deadline that comes from the agent, not the employer, is a warning. Real closing dates come from the employer.
2. Get the offer and contract in writing and read the job, salary and place.
3. Check for the red flags in the table above. One is enough to pause.
4. Verify the offer officially. For the UAE, use the MOHRE website, app or 600 590000.
5. Check the Pakistan side. Emigrant's Protection registration is done directly at the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) or through a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter. Ask the person in front of you which one they are, and check it with the official body.
6. Keep your original passport. Do not hand it to someone you cannot verify. Demands for original passports are on the warning list from The News.
7. Do not pay stage by stage to a personal account for a "visa". Our reading: asking for payment in instalments is a common trap.
8. Talk to someone. Show the offer to a relative or friend who has worked abroad before you decide.

If any step fails, stop. You lose nothing by waiting for a proper answer. You can lose a great deal by paying first.

Our source material does not give official complaint numbers or refund procedures, so we do not list any. What follows is general advice, not legal advice.

• Stop paying. Do not send more money, even if you are told it will release the visa or the refund.
• Keep every record. Save chat messages, voice notes, call logs, payment receipts, bank or wallet transfer details, the names and numbers used, and any photos of the office or documents.
• Do not delete the chat and do not confront the person in a way that makes them disappear.
• Report it to the authorities in Pakistan. The FIA is the agency reported to be arresting visa-fraud gangs. Contact them or your local police using the details on their official websites.
• Be careful of a second scam. The News describes a pattern where gang members pose as police and ask for more money to return what you lost. Do not pay anyone who contacts you claiming to be police and asking for money to release a refund.
• Tell your family. You were targeted by people who do this for a living.

If your passport is with the person, tell the authorities that in your report.

In our reading, fear peaks at a few moments: when someone asks for money, when a deadline appears, and when payment is split into parts. Here is how to handle each. The right-hand column is our guidance, based on the red flags above.

A useful rule: a real offer can wait for you to check it. A scam cannot.

Parents, spouses and siblings often worry the most, and they are often the ones who see the offer first. If you are supporting a worker, you can help in practical ways.

• Ask to see the written offer and contract, not only a chat message.
• Ask who the agent is and whether they are a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter or the Bureau of Emigration itself.
• Ask how much has already been paid, to whom, and what receipt was given.
• Help the worker keep the original passport at home until the offer is verified.
• Do not pressure or shame the worker. Anyone can be fooled by a well-made offer.

Being fooled is not a personal failure. Reports describe gangs that change their names and pose as police. The better response is a clear check and a calm plan.

Read every listing here the same way you would read any offer: as something to check, not something to trust.

• Look at the employer and the way to apply. Apply through the employer or the official route, not by paying someone who contacts you.
• Check the pay and job title against the contract you are later given. A job or salary that changes on arrival is called contract substitution. See our worker rights guide.
• Run the red flags against the listing. A real listing does not ask you to pay.
• If a listing looks wrong, use the contact page to tell us.

Use the salary calculator to compare an offered pay figure with other numbers before you decide.

• We are not a recruiter. We do not hire, select or send workers abroad.
• We never charge job seekers and we never ask for your passport.
• We are not a government body, and this guide is not legal advice.
• We cannot promise any job, visa or salary.
• We do not check every offer for you. This guide explains how you can check it through the official route.

If someone uses our name to ask you for money, they are not us. Please tell us through the contact page.