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Expats warn of evacuation scams claiming to offer Koreans way out of Middle East

Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 13:30 Updated: 05 Mar. 2026, 17:07

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

Korean nationals and staffers of the Korean Embassy in Iran prepare to leave Tehran on March 2, evacuating the country following U.S.-Israeli strikes. [FOREIGN MINISTRY]

Korean expats are warning those overseas to be careful of scammers as many look for ways out of the Middle East due to the escalation of the Iran war.

With people looking to join border runs, private jet flights or ride on anything that moves, warnings are piling up that some evacuation offers circulating online may be phishing attempts, outright scams or opportunistic sales pitches dressed up as goodwill.

Multiple open chat rooms such as “Dubai escape room” and “UAE escape room” have appeared on Korean messenger app KakaoTalk as of Thursday, the sixth day after strikes began on Saturday, with posts continuing to promote private jet options or overland routes to nearby countries.

Some posts claim to help travelers reach Muscat International Airport near the Oman border in exchange for a fee. Overland travel costs have been pitched at around 300,000 to 330,000 won ($205 to $225) per person.

One broker offered to arrange a private jet flight from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Istanbul, according to Korean news outlet News1. The price was quoted at $220,000 for a group of 10.

Travel agencies have also joined in. On a website run by a Korean community in the UAE, a post offered transport to Oman by a 45-seat bus, with a proposed fee of around 300,000 won per passenger.

KakaoTalk open chatrooms for people who want to ″escape″ the United Arab Emirates seen in March 5. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

However, border checkpoints between Dubai and Oman have reportedly become clogged with vehicles and crowds, forcing lengthy waits to get through.

Warnings have spread within the expat community that some of these offers may involve phishing, scams or simply opportunistic sales tactics dressed up as goodwill.

"I saw brokers believed to be in Korea recruiting people who plan to travel overland from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Oman," said a blog post Tuesday, written by an author claiming to be a Korean expatriate who has lived in Dubai for 15 years. "I can’t tell whether they are helping travelers or trying to make money off the situation. But phishing attempts, scam links and text messages meant to trick people in distress are also circulating.”

Making one's way out of the conflict zone is one issue, but further travel is another. Even if the expat reaches their intermediary destination, securing an international flight out of the Middle East still remains an uncertainty.

Korean nationals and embassy officials prepare to leave Israel in an evacuation operation on March 3, in this photo provided by the Foreign Ministry. [YONHAP]

Korea’s embassy in the UAE issued guidance Monday, noting that overland travel to Oman is possible but that sudden movement restrictions could be imposed due to regional instability. The embassy also cautioned that international flights from Muscat have faced cancellations and urged travelers to confirm schedules in advance.

Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday that 90 Korean nationals who had been in Iran and Israel evacuated Tuesday to neighboring Turkmenistan and Egypt, respectively, with government support.

The ministry added that two nationals in Iraq and 10 in Bahrain also moved safely to Turkey and Saudi Arabia, respectively, with assistance from local diplomatic missions. The Korean government is also seeking to actively weighing the use of charter flights and military transport aircraft to help additional evacuees reach nearby countries.

Large fire and plume of smoke is visible after, according to the authorities, debris of an Iranian intercepted drone hit the Fujairah oil facility, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 3. [AP/YONHAP]

About 20,000 Koreans are currently staying across 13 Middle Eastern countries — including Iran, Israel, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman — according to the ministry. Roughly 17,000 are long-term residents, while around 4,000 are short-term visitors such as tourists and business travelers.

Dubai, meanwhile, fully shut its airport after the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, then recently resumed with limited operations. Korean Air’s Incheon to Dubai route is expected to resume next Monday depending on further developments in the Iran war.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]