The Pakistan government has taken action against what has been called a "fake visa and recruitment scam network [with] deep roots in Pakistan". Reports surfaced of 25 men recruited to work as security guards in Dubai by fraudulent recruiters operating in several cities across Pakistan. Despite being promised lucrative employment and housing, the men found themselves faced with the costs of airfare and visas in addition to recruitment fees. Once in Dubai, the reports allege that "all of the men spent nearly nine months without salaries, food and water, had to sleep in the open often and were at times recruited to work long and odd hours at different places including at malls."

In response the Pakistan government provided these 25 workers with flights home and cancelled the recruiter's license, however, officials warn that this incident is the "tip of the iceberg". The government has since blacklisted fake and fraudulent recruiters and have promised to share the list publicly.