Job Fraud: How 3 Friends Cheated Job Seekers During Pandemic And Made Over Rs 70 Lakh

GURUGRAM: Three conmen were arrested for allegedly defrauding hundreds of job seekers out of at least Rs 70 lakh by promising them positions in leading organisations.

The scammers, who are all from Delhi, are accused of defrauding over 300 people across the country, including in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and other states.

During last year’s lockdown, the three accused — Abhishek (30), Aarohi (24) and Himanshu (30) — established a call centre in Delhi. Himanshu, the kingpin, would collect information and data of job applicants from various websites. Job seekers typically upload their CVs and resume on such platforms to be alerted of job openings.

The three friends misusing data of job seekers carried out a full-fledged pan India scam.

Data Of Job Seekers Fuels The Racket

Himanshu would provide information to Aarohi and Abhishek in order to keep the scam going. Abhishek would then call roughly 50 people per day, promising them positions in large corporations. Aarohi would be in charge of their company’s management.

Top Institutions Name Misused

The accused would receive money from applicants in the name of registration and afterwards send them emails for registration and online interviews using false IDs made in the names of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), National Career Service (NCS), or Digital Career Service.

Data Collected From Job Portals

Police investing the case said that the gang used to scan portals such as Quikr and Naukri to acquire information of job seekers. They used to share the names and phone numbers with telecallers at their call centre. They would call job aspirants and portray a rosy picture while offering them a job on the condition that they first register with them.

Fake Interviews And Training

The job seekers were urged to make payments in the name of registration. After a few days, they received emails inviting them to participate in online interviews in exchange for payment. They would also stage the interviews in few cases where they had charged more. They would also stage training sessions and charge for them. “We discovered 15 fake email IDs in the names of several companies,” said the officer investigating the case.

The fraud was brought to light after Sanjana from Faridabad’s Sector 58 stated that she had been duped out of Rs 88,600. An inquiry has been initiated, according to an officer, who also stated that this was the gang’s first cybercrime recorded in Faridabad.

Along with the money in Abhishek, Aarohi, and Himanshu’s “fake” accounts, the police claimed to have recovered 14 mobile phones, 12 SIM cards, five PCs, and Rs 16, 000 cash from the accused.