Delhi Police have busted two alleged fake job-placement call centres operating from the same building near Shadipur Metro Station and apprehended 11 people accused of targeting unemployed job seekers with fictitious employment offers.
Police said the operators obtained personal details and phone numbers of candidates from online recruitment platforms and then contacted them while posing as recruiters.
Victims were allegedly asked to pay registration or processing fees ranging from ₹1,200 to ₹3,500 before the callers eventually stopped responding without providing the promised jobs.
The raids were carried out on October 3 at Lal Ratan Building in the Ranjit Nagar area.
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Job-Seeker Data Allegedly Used for Targeted Calls
According to police, the accused did not simply make random calls.
They allegedly obtained personal details and contact numbers belonging to people actively searching for employment through online job-search and recruitment platforms.
That data was then used to call candidates who were already looking for work.
The callers allegedly introduced themselves as recruiters and offered attractive employment opportunities.
Once trust was established, candidates were asked to pay money under different packages described as registration or processing charges.
Police said the amounts commonly demanded were ₹1,200, ₹1,400 and ₹3,500.
Victims Kept Engaged Before Callers Disappeared
After receiving the payment, the callers allegedly stayed in touch with candidates for several days.
They continued discussing supposed jobs and further recruitment formalities, giving victims the impression that the hiring process was progressing.
Eventually, the communication stopped.
Police allege that no genuine job was provided.
The use of relatively small fees may have helped the operation appear believable and encouraged victims to pay without carrying out deeper verification.
Two Call Centres Running From Same Building
Police received information on October 3 about a suspected fake placement operation near Shadipur Metro Station and conducted technical and field verification.
The first raid led to six people being apprehended, including four women.
Police identified the six as Arpit of Mohan Garden, Sakina and Meenakshi of Raghubir Nagar, Karishma of Rajouri Garden, Chanchal of Subhash Nagar and Ashok of Nand Nagri.
A second operation in the same building led to five more apprehensions.
They were identified as Asim of Karawal Nagar, Sandeep of Pratap Nagar, Gaurav Malik of Jahangirpuri, Gyan Singh of Jhilmil Colony and Rohit of West Patel Nagar.
Police Say Centres Could Not Show Genuine Placement Records
During verification, police asked the operators of one of the centres to produce corporate authorisation letters, placement agreements or records showing that candidates had actually been placed in jobs.
According to police, they were unable to produce such material.
Investigators are now trying to identify the people who owned or controlled the centres and determine who supplied the job-seeker database.
13 Computers and Five Phones Seized
Police seized 13 computer systems and five mobile phones during the raids.
The computers allegedly contained job-seeker data, contact information, calling applications and material linked to suspected financial transactions.
One of the centres was also using X-Lite, a VoIP calling application, according to Jagran.
VoIP software allows calls to be made over the internet rather than through a normal telephone line.
The software itself is legitimate and widely used by businesses.
In this case, police allege it formed part of the calling infrastructure used to contact prospective victims.
Police Probe Source of Job-Seeker Data
One of the most important unanswered questions is how the call centres obtained information about people actively looking for employment.
Police are examining the source of the candidate database and whether the information came through legitimate access, unauthorised sharing or another intermediary.
The available police account does not establish that any named recruitment platform itself participated in the fraud.
The investigation is focused on how the accused obtained and used the data.
Masterminds Still Being Traced
The 11 people apprehended appear to have been working as callers or operatives inside the two centres.
Police are still looking for the alleged operators and masterminds behind the activity.
Investigators are also examining the digital and financial records seized during the raids to determine how much money may have been collected and how many job seekers were affected.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The allegations have not yet been proved in court.
Small Registration Fees Can Still Signal Job Fraud
Job scams do not always begin with demands for lakhs of rupees.
Fraudsters may start with relatively modest amounts described as registration, verification, processing or documentation charges.
The smaller amount can make the request seem routine.
Once a victim pays, fraudsters may either disappear or demand additional money at later stages.
A genuine recruitment process should be independently verified with the employer before any payment is made.
What this means for you
Be cautious when an unexpected recruiter already knows details from your job profile and then asks for registration or processing fees. Verify the employer through its official website or HR contact and do not assume a call is genuine merely because the caller knows your employment history.
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