Three kinds of bad licence
Not every bad licence is a forgery. There are three kinds, and each one fails a different test.
A forged licence is a document edited or built from scratch, usually from a real template with a new name and number. A borrowed licence is a genuine licence belonging to another company, sent as if it were the sender's own. A lapsed licence was real once and has expired, been suspended or been cancelled, but the company keeps circulating the old PDF.
The borrowed licence is the hardest to catch by eye, because the document is real. The only defence is to compare the name on the licence with the name on the quote, the contract and the bank account. The seven signs below cover all three kinds.
Sign 1: the number returns nothing
Type the licence number into the register of the authority named on the document. For a mainland company that is the licence search of the emirate's economic department: the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in Dubai, ADDED in Abu Dhabi, SEDD in Sharjah. For a free zone company it is the company search of the zone itself, such as DMCC, IFZA, Meydan Free Zone, JAFZA or RAKEZ.
If the number returns nothing, do not assume you typed it wrong and move on. Try it twice, then ask the company to send the number as plain text. A real company answers within minutes. A forger usually goes quiet or sends the same image again.
A number that returns a record under a different company name is worse than no record. It tells you the document was copied from someone else's licence.
Sign 2: the activity does not match the service
Every mainland licence lists the activities the company may carry out. Read that line before anything else. A company licensed for general trading cannot lawfully offer legal advice, and a consultancy licence does not cover AC repair.
Mismatched activities are common among real companies too, so this sign alone proves little. It matters when it appears together with another sign, or when the service is regulated by a second body. Estate agents need a broker registration (with RERA in Dubai), lawyers need a practising licence, and recruitment agencies need a MOHRE licence.
Ask the company to explain, in writing, which licence covers the work. A real company has a straightforward answer, often a second licence or a sister company, and will put that name on the invoice.
Sign 3: the document looks wrong
Open the file on a laptop, not a phone, and zoom in. Genuine licences are usually exported as PDFs with selectable text. A licence that arrives as a flat photo or screenshot, with no text you can highlight, deserves a second look.
Signs of editing include mixed fonts in the same field, uneven spacing around the trade name and number, a logo with fuzzy edges next to sharp text, and a stamp that sits on top of the text instead of under it. Dates are the most edited field, so look closely at the expiry line.
Do not trust the QR code printed on the licence. A forger can generate a code that opens a page designed to look official. Type the address of the authority yourself and search by number, as our guide on verifying a trade licence in two minutes describes.
Sign 4: the address and the premises do not add up
A mainland licence is tied to a registered address, normally supported by a registered tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai, Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi). A free zone licence is tied to a desk, an office or a warehouse in the zone.
Compare the address on the licence with the address the company gives you. A company that tells you to visit a showroom in Al Quoz but holds a flexi-desk licence in a business centre in Business Bay is not necessarily dishonest, but the gap needs an explanation.
Check the phone number and the website too. A domain registered a few weeks ago, a free email address in place of a company domain and a website with no address are common among short-lived operations. A quick domain lookup shows the registration date.
Sign 5: the owner will not put their name on paper
Borrowed licences surface at the contract stage. The company sends a genuine licence, then asks you to pay a personal account, a different company or an exchange house transfer to an individual.
Ask for a quote and an invoice in the licence holder's exact trade name, with its licence number and, if it is VAT-registered, its Tax Registration Number (TRN). The Federal Tax Authority lets you check a TRN online. Ask for the IBAN account name and compare it with the licence.
Renting out a licence to someone else is a practice regulators try to stop. If a company says it works "under" another licence, ask for that licence and a written statement of the arrangement. If the company hesitates, treat that as your answer.
Sign 6 and 7: a price that is too good and a deadline that is too tight
Forged-licence operators win business on price and speed. A company formation offer at half of every other quote, a visa promised in 24 hours, a free zone licence with no documents. These offers exist because the operator never intends to do the work.
Pressure is the second tell. "The price is only valid today", "two slots left" and "pay now to hold the date" are sales lines, not procedure. A legitimate company can wait the hour it takes you to check a register.
The amount is small enough that victims often do not report it, which is why the same operator keeps going.
If you have already paid
Act the same day. First, call your bank and ask whether the transfer can be recalled or flagged. Card payments and some transfers can be disputed within a short window, and the first 24 hours matter most.
Second, collect the evidence: the licence file, chat messages, the quote, the receipt and the account details. Third, report the matter. For online fraud in Dubai, use the Dubai Police eCrime platform or the Dubai Police app; in the other emirates, report to the police of that emirate. Call 901 for the non-emergency line. For a consumer dispute with a licensed company, use the consumer protection channel of the emirate's economic department (DET in Dubai).
If the licence appears in a Moathaq listing, tell us through the report form. We aim to review reports within two working days and suspend a listing when the licence does not match the register.
Any AED amounts in this guide are typical ranges for Dubai as of October 2026; prices in other emirates are often similar or lower. They are not quotes and not offers: real prices depend on the job, the company and the date, so ask for written quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Can a fake licence pass a quick look at the PDF?
Yes. Good forgeries pass a visual check, which is why the register search matters more than the document. Type the number into the website of the emirate's economic department (DET in Dubai) or the free zone and compare the name, activity and expiry date.
Is it illegal to rent out a trade licence?
Letting another party trade under your licence without a lawful arrangement is treated as a violation by licensing authorities, and the licence holder can face penalties and cancellation. Ask any company working under a licence not its own to show the arrangement in writing.
What if the licence is real but expired last month?
An expired licence means the company cannot lawfully trade until it renews. Ask for the renewed document and check it again before paying. Many companies renew within days, so a short delay is often enough to settle the question.
Where do I report a company that used a fake licence?
Report fraud to the police (in Dubai, Dubai Police through the eCrime platform) and to the licensing authority named on the document. If the company is listed on Moathaq, use our report form as well so we can suspend the listing.
