The office, named Sultan for Recruitment, was located in the Hindawiyyah district.

A number of victims said they trusted the office after reading many advertisements in the newspapers and on electronic sites. Each of them allegedly paid SR8,000 to recruit a housemaid. They said they were warmly received at the office and served with refreshments to gain their confidence.

Downtown police said they arrested a number of suspects but could not yet nab the swindler.

“I felt assured when I read about this office in the newspapers and online. I went there where I was served coffee. I willingly paid the amount of SR8,000 only to discover after a few days that there was no office and no visa,” said Muhammad Al-Jidaani, one of the victims.

He said he reported the case to the police after realizing he had been conned.

Abdullah bin Aiesh Al-Thibaiti is another victim who came from Taif to recruit some foreign workers for his business. “What really surprises me is that the police cannot find the swindler, who locked his office and disappeared in early Ramadan,” he said.

Thamir Al-Zahrani, Waheeb Al-Mansoury, Faisal Al-Harithy and Fahd Al-Malki, who were also swindled, urged the authorities to be more cautious in granting licenses for recruitment offices in order to curb fraudulent practices.

According to Al-Mansoury, the scam covered a number of regions, including Makkah where a woman complained that she was conned out of her money in a similar operation.

Director of the Al-Balad (downtown) police station Col. Rashid Al-Subie said officers were stepping up their investigations and making inquiries at the Jeddah governorate and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said people were anxious to regain their money and no one could blame them.

“We are doing everything we can and are sure that we will nab the swindler soon,” Col. Al-Subie said.