Baghpat. Police have busted a well-organised cyber fraud syndicate that duped thousands of unemployed youths across the country by luring them with fake job offers. The gang allegedly cheated around 6,450 job seekers by posting fake advertisements on Naukri.com and OLX, conducting sham interviews and issuing forged appointment letters.
Seven members of the gang have been arrested. According to police, the accused had been operating the racket for the past six years, running multiple call centres across different cities to carry out the fraud.
Officials said the gang targeted job aspirants from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Rajasthan, making it one of the largest employment-related cyber fraud cases reported in the region in recent years.
The scam came to light after complaints were received on the Government of India’s ‘Pratibimbh Portal’, flagging suspicious activities linked to two mobile numbers. Acting on these inputs, the cyber cell initiated a technical investigation that eventually exposed the entire network.
Gang Busted on Eastern Peripheral Expressway
Following technical surveillance and mobile tracking, police intercepted the accused on Sunday morning near Mavikalan on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. The gang leader Anuj was arrested along with six others.
The arrested accused have been identified as:
- Anuj – resident of Khwaja Nangla, currently living in New Ashok Nagar, Delhi
- Shivani – Muzaffarnagar
- Asha – Sector-41, Noida
- Mohit
- Punit
- Vardan – Baraut
- Akshay – Sonta Alipur, Shamli
Police said the gang operated call centres from Baraut, Noida, Delhi and Muzaffarnagar, from where job seekers were contacted and trapped.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to investigators, the accused would post attractive job advertisements on popular portals such as Naukri.com and OLX. Once candidates applied, they were contacted by callers posing as HR executives.
Victims were then subjected to a fake interview process and asked to deposit money under various heads such as:
Registration fee
File processing charges
Verification or documentation charges
In most cases, victims were made to pay between ₹20,000 and ₹25,000.
After the payment, candidates were sent fake appointment letters via email, bearing the names of reputed banks or private companies. A few days later, they were informed that there was a “technical issue” or “approval problem” at the head office. Soon after, their calls were blocked and all communication stopped.
6,450 Fake Appointment Letters Recovered
Superintendent of Police Suraj Kumar Rai said that during the raid, police recovered:
- 6,450 fake appointment letters
- 12 mobile phones
- 2 laptops
- 15 bank passbooks and cheque books
- Multiple SIM cards used for fraud
Preliminary investigation revealed that the defrauded money was routed through several bank accounts to avoid detection.
Racket Expanded During COVID-19 Pandemic
Police said the gang took advantage of rising unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The kingpin Anuj, who has previous criminal records, started the call centre model during this period and gradually expanded the network.
The accused used a scripted format to trap victims. Members of the gang posed alternately as HR managers, company officials and verification officers. A written script was maintained to ensure uniform conversation and avoid suspicion.
SIM Cards and Bank Accounts Opened Using Labourers’ IDs
The investigation also revealed that the accused used Aadhaar cards of daily wage labourers to open bank accounts and procure SIM cards. In several cases, labourers were lured with money or alcohol in exchange for their documents.
These accounts were later used to receive fraud proceeds, making it difficult to trace the money trail.
More Victims Likely to Surface
Police believe that the actual number of victims could be much higher. Several bank accounts linked to the accused are still under scrutiny, and further arrests are expected.
The SP has urged job seekers to remain cautious and warned that no legitimate employer asks for money in exchange for a job. He also advised citizens to immediately report suspicious calls, emails or messages to the cyber crime helpline. “People should verify job offers carefully and never transfer money for recruitment. Timely reporting can help prevent large-scale frauds,” the SP said.
