Hyderabad| A major cyber fraud racket targeting unemployed youths with promises of “backdoor software jobs” has been busted in Hyderabad. Amberpet police arrested four persons accused of operating a fake job consultancy that allegedly cheated job seekers of lakhs of rupees through fraudulent recruitment offers and forged appointment letters.
According to investigators, the accused used social media platforms to trap unemployed youths by claiming to provide guaranteed placements in reputed software companies. Victims were allegedly persuaded to pay large sums of money in exchange for direct recruitment and “backdoor entry” opportunities. After collecting the money, the accused reportedly disappeared after issuing fake offer letters.
FCRF’s Flagship Cyber Law Certification Returns With a New Four-Week Cohort
Police identified the arrested accused as Tembelwar Kishore alias Gopi Krishna alias Manjunath, Kirthik B.Y. alias Royal Mosis, Vemula Sankar and Alavala Sai Ashok. Officials said the accused were operating a bogus consultancy firm under the name “Admifit Consultancy.” Cases have been registered against them under various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while several other suspects linked to the network are still absconding.
Investigators said the gang mainly targeted job seekers through Facebook and other social media platforms. The accused allegedly projected themselves as recruitment agents with strong links to leading software firms and offered quick placements without regular hiring procedures. Unemployed youths were convinced that the payments were part of recruitment processing charges and job confirmation fees.
The fraud came to light after a 34-year-old homemaker from the Amberpet area filed a complaint with police. According to the complaint, she was contacted online and promised a software job in a reputed company. Trusting the assurances given by the accused, she transferred nearly ₹2.3 lakh as part of the supposed recruitment process. Later, the appointment letter sent to her was found to be fake.
Police said each member of the gang had a specific role in the operation. Kishore allegedly identified and approached unemployed youths through social media and forwarded their resumes to other members of the network. Kirthik, who was reportedly operating from Bengaluru, is accused of creating and circulating fake appointment letters in the names of reputed software companies through WhatsApp and other messaging platforms.
According to investigators, Vemula Sankar arranged fake bank accounts and SIM cards used to receive and route the cheated money through multiple transactions. Meanwhile, Alavala Sai Ashok allegedly assisted in operating the bank accounts and managing the financial movement linked to the fraud.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the racket may have cheated at least 35 to 40 unemployed persons. Police said the network has so far been linked to 11 FIRs and nearly 25 cyber crime complaints filed across different platforms. Investigators suspect that the actual number of victims and the scale of the fraud could be much larger.
During the raids, police seized multiple mobile phones, SIM cards, debit cards, banking documents and nearly ₹2 lakh in cash from the accused. Officials said forensic analysis of the seized digital devices is currently underway to identify additional members connected to the organised fraud network.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said unemployed youths should remain cautious of claims such as “guaranteed placement” and “backdoor jobs.” According to him, cyber criminals are increasingly using social engineering tactics to exploit the desperation of job seekers looking for quick employment opportunities.
A Researcher at Algoritha Security noted that fake job scams are now becoming more sophisticated, with fraudsters using fake HR profiles, AI-generated emails and cloned corporate websites to appear legitimate. Experts advised candidates to verify every job offer through official company websites and authorised communication channels before making any payment.
Police have urged citizens not to blindly trust job advertisements circulating on social media and to immediately report suspicious recruitment offers or cyber fraud activities to the cyber crime helpline or local police authorities.
