Fake Germany job offer costs Hawally woman KD 1,000

She walked back to the office with one simple question: has my paperwork gone through? Instead, she found the doors shut, the lights off, and nobody left to ask.

That moment, according to a complaint filed in Hawally Governorate, is when a Filipina worker in Kuwait realised she had likely been scammed out of KD 1,000. Her case joins a growing list of job and money scams reported across Kuwait in recent weeks, including an online phone ad scam that cost a Kuwait shopper KD 200.

How it all started

According to her statement to police, the woman came across an advertisement offering well-paid jobs in several European countries. Adverts like this circulate often in Kuwait, promising salaries far above what many jobs here pay, and they can be hard to resist if you’re hoping to build a better future for your family.

About two months before she filed her complaint, she visited the company’s headquarters to ask about the positions on offer. Staff there told her they could arrange a job for her in Germany. To move forward with what they described as recruitment and contracting procedures, they asked her for KD 1,000.

She paid the amount in cash. Then she waited. Weeks passed with no confirmation that anything had actually been arranged on her behalf.

What happened when she went back

Eventually, she decided to return to the company’s office to find out what was taking so long. That’s when things fell apart. The office was closed. She had no way to reach the people who had taken her money. There was no management to call, no one to answer her questions.

At that point, she suspected she had been defrauded. She went to a police station in Hawally and filed a formal complaint. Police have now opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened and who is responsible.

It’s a pattern that’s becoming familiar in Kuwait. Just weeks ago, this site covered a warning over phone and SIM resale cash schemes, another case where people handed over money based on promises that didn’t hold up. Scammers often count on victims being too embarrassed, too busy, or too unsure of the process to report what happened.

Who this affects

This case involves a domestic or private-sector worker from the Philippines, but the risk isn’t limited to one nationality. Anyone in Kuwait looking for a better-paying job abroad, especially in Europe, can be a target. Recruitment scams tend to focus on workers who are already employed here but hoping to move somewhere with higher wages.

Fraudsters running these schemes often set up for a short time, take payments from several people, then disappear before anyone realises something is wrong. By the time one victim checks on their application, the office may already be closed for good, leaving no trail to follow.

What you should do before paying any recruitment fee

If you’re thinking about applying through an agency promising a job abroad, a few basic checks can save you a lot of money and stress.

1. Ask for the company’s commercial licence number and check it with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry before paying anything.
2. Never hand over cash without a signed, dated receipt that clearly states what the payment is for.
3. Be suspicious of any agency that asks for full payment upfront, before any contract or visa paperwork exists.
4. Search online for the company’s name along with words like