How to Spot a Fake Demand Letter (A Step-by-Step Guide for Indian Workers)

When a recruitment agent posts an advertisement on WhatsApp or Facebook, they will often show a picture of a "Demand Letter." This document is supposed to prove that a massive company in Dubai or Saudi Arabia has officially authorized them to hire 500 workers.

Unfortunately, with basic Photoshop skills, scammers create fake demand letters every single day to collect advance fees from innocent workers.

Here is how you can spot a fake demand letter in 5 seconds, and how to verify it legally.

The Visual Red Flags (Spotting the Fake)

1. The Email Address is Gmail/Yahoo Look closely at the contact details on the foreign company's letterhead. If a massive construction company in Qatar is hiring 200 carpenters, their email will be *hr@qatarconstruction.com*. If the email on the letterhead is *qatarjobs123@gmail.com*, it is **100% fake**.

2. Missing Attestation Stamps A genuine demand letter from the Gulf cannot just be emailed. By Indian law, it must be physically attested (stamped) by the Indian Embassy in the foreign country, or the local Chamber of Commerce. If the letter is perfectly clean with no official consular stamps, be very suspicious.

3. Generic Job Titles with Massive Salaries Fake demand letters use greed to trap you. If you see a demand for a "Helper" offering 3000 SAR (₹66,000) basic salary, it is fake. The market rate for a helper is 1000 to 1200 SAR. Scammers inflate salaries to make you desperate to pay their commission.

The Legal Verification (The eMigrate Check) You don't have to guess. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has digitized the entire process.

1. Ask for the RA Number: Every genuine Indian agency has an RA (Recruiting Agent) license number.
2. Go to eMigrate: Visit the official emigrate.gov.in portal.
3. Search Active Vacancies: Under the "Services" menu, you can search for active job demands registered under that specific RA number.
4. The Truth: If the foreign employer has genuinely requested workers, that exact demand (number of vacancies, job title, and salary) will be visible on the government portal.

If the agent says, "We haven't uploaded it to eMigrate yet," do not give them your passport.

Protect your hard-earned money. Always apply through transparent platforms like My Videsh that only list verified demands from MEA-approved agencies.