The Central Crime Branch of the Greater Chennai Police has busted an alleged fake government recruitment racket, arresting Gokul alias Gokulakrishnan, 36, for cheating job seekers with promises of employment at a government hospital. Police said the accused worked alongside a woman accomplice, who remains absconding, to target unemployed youth with fabricated government job offers.
How the Scheme Was Built
According to police, complainant Saravanan, 28, a BCA graduate from Anna Nagar West Extension, came into contact with a woman in 2025 while searching for work. She allegedly claimed to be a Mumbai-based cancer researcher employed at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, and promised to secure him a government position in departments such as Quality Assurance, Accounts, and Medical Coding.
Trusting her claims, Saravanan transferred nearly ₹2 lakh through Google Pay across multiple instalments between 2025 and 2026, paid into accounts belonging to the woman and Gokulakrishnan. The pair later sent him what appeared to be an official appointment order for the hospital. When he visited to complete his joining formalities, he discovered the order was forged and that no such recruitment had ever taken place.
During the investigation, the Job Fraud Investigation Wing of the Central Crime Branch found that at least seven other individuals had allegedly been cheated through the same modus operandi. Acting on the evidence gathered, police arrested Gokulakrishnan from St. Thomas Mount, seizing two mobile phones, forged appointment orders and other incriminating documents.
Part of a Recurring National Pattern
Fake government hospital recruitment scams are not unique to Chennai. Hyderabad’s Gandhi Hospital recently had to publicly warn job seekers after fraudulent recruitment advertisements, promising government jobs paying up to ₹46,000, surfaced across social media using the hospital’s name without authorisation. Reputed cancer research institutions have similarly had to post standing warnings on their own websites, clarifying that no fee is ever charged at any stage of recruitment and that fraudsters routinely misuse their identity to solicit money from desperate job seekers.
The recurrence of this exact template, a fabricated official posing as hospital or research staff, a promised government posting, and a forged appointment letter delivered only after payment, suggests organised networks are deliberately exploiting the credibility that public hospitals carry, particularly among young graduates competing for scarce government positions.
A researcher at Algoritha Security said fraudsters running such scams typically build trust through social media, messaging apps or personal contacts before demanding money, using forged appointment letters and fabricated official communications to make offers appear genuine. Job seekers were advised to rely only on official recruitment notifications published through verified government channels, and to never pay money to individuals or agents claiming to guarantee a government job. Police said the investigation continues, with efforts underway to trace the absconding woman accused and identify any additional victims of the racket.
