DUBAI If posting lewd pictures of women online was not outrageous enough, illegal escort agencies in Dubai are now luring clients with brazen 50 per cent discount offers.
Social media is abuzz with tweets and Facebook posts openly advertising the availability of escorts at half rates for a variety of services.
“New Dubai escorts gold girls 50% discount all services (sic)” reads a post from a Twitter handle with hundreds of followers. “New. 100% Real +971-050-XXXXXXX #Dubai # escorts Bebe 19 years old. Call now for 50% discount (sic),” says another tweet.
A casual search online threw up scores of tweets and posts offering “discounted adult services”.
Slump in business?
When XPRESS called one of the numbers posing as a prospective client, a man who wouldn’t identify himself said they have had to resort to this strategy because of a slump in business. “There has been a drop in demand for our services recently and this new rate is proving to be a nice incentive,” said the Indian man.
“Call us if you need beautiful Indian, Pakistani girls anytime. We have others too. Very smart. Before it was Dh1,000, but now special discount so you pay only Dh500,” he added.
It’s raining discounts on Facebook too. “Hi guys! I am new in UAE so I am giving discounts to everyone for a week,” read an April 8 public post that clearly displayed an etisalat number. The woman who asnwered the call identified herself as Veronica from Romania. “You will have to come to Tecom as I am still new to Dubai,” she said in a polished Caucasian accent. “It’s Dh600 for two hours and Dh1,000 for the whole night after discount,” she added. XPRESS has a recording of the conversation.
In 2011, XPRESS exposed how Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were fast becoming hotspots for escort agencies and call girls to ply their illegal trade in the UAE.
Following a crackdown on their websites, a large number of escort services flocked to popular social networking sites to tap new clients in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Sharjah, the report said.
In recent years, many escorts have set up their own Facebook homepages and groups with local cellphone numbers of their representatives displayed prominently alongside titillating images.
But a 50 per cent discount was unheard of until now. “This is the need of the hour. We have to keep reinventing to attract new clients and keep them interested,” explained another man running an escort agency in Dubai.
The Telecom Regulatory Auth-ority (TRA) classifies the use of social media for the flesh trade under the Prohibited Content Categories, specifically “Dating”.
YOUSPEAK: What should be done to block escort agencies from social media?
