One such woman, who only wanted to be identified as Suad, described her experience with a lecher posing as an employer.

In a recent report in Al-Riyadh daily, the 29-year-old educated Saudi woman said she had sent her CV by e-mail to a local company and later received a call from a man claiming to be a human resources representative.

“At first the man spoke in a civilized and formal manner,” she told the paper. “He commended my excellent track record after going through my curriculum vitae that speaks about my academic qualifications and work experience.”

But then Suad said the conversation turned creepy: “He disclosed his intention to help me pass the personal interview to get the job. For this he wanted to know me personally and asked me to have a 'personal meeting' at a restaurant or cafe.”

When the conversation shifted from a formal job interview toward something akin to asking a woman out on a date, Suad said she vehemently rejected the advance. She told her father, who contacted the company that allegedly posted the ad. A company representative said they didn’t post the advertisement and that there was no employee by the name of the man who had called.

Another woman, Amal, described a similar experience after she answered a help-wanted advertisement in a local newspaper.

It turned out this was just a ruse to collect personal information from women in an attempt to lure them into trysts through sexual blackmail, possible in a culture where sending personal data and photos of women to their families can lead to shameful repercussions.

In fact, it is believed that for every Suad who goes to her father there are many other women who do not pursue justice when they become subjects of sexual blackmail out of fear of living with an unjustified shameful reputation, or even accusations they were somehow at fault.

In an era where Saudi women are starting to crack through the proverbial and low Saudi “glass ceiling” of job opportunities (at least at the professional level) the problem of perverts exploiting cultural factors and their positions of power in order to lure women into sexual or financial blackmail has become more noticeable.

Indeed, the problem has become big enough that the Ministry of Culture and Information issued recently new guidelines for posting help-wanted advertisements in the local media. These directives stipulate that the advertisement must carry details of the advertiser, and such advertisements require prior approval from concerned authorities.

Yahya Al-Qilaf, a sociologist, underscored the need for women to keep vigil against men who behave poorly and unethically and abuse their positions or hide their true intentions.

“Young women should neither keep mum about such incidents nor pay any heed to the demands of these fraudsters,” he said. “The women should not hesitate to inform the concerned authorities whenever they suspect any such dubious acts. The authorities normally swing into action whenever they receive such information.”

Being aware of the potential harm to the reputation of these women and their families, Qilaf pointed out that these authorities treat these cases with utmost discretion.

“They can be saved without falling into the deep well of blackmailing and treachery with timely intervention,” he added, pointing out that in many cases these women aren't careful and too trusting.

Victims of employment scams are not just targets of sexual blackmail. The crooks could also be looking for money.

Ziyad Al-Roqaiti, spokesman for the Eastern Province police, said a Saudi man in his 40s was recently arrested for cheating several Saudi women job-seekers by taking applications along with a fee “to finalize the application process.”

Al-Roqaiti urged all job-seekers — including men — to engage in due diligence and investigate people claiming to be employers by contacting the company in question and making sure the advertisement is legitimate.