Kanpur : A major cyber fraud racket operating under the guise of offering lucrative overseas job opportunities has been busted in Kanpur. The gang had attempted to deceive over 1.20 lakh individuals across India by luring them with promises of employment in countries like Australia, America, and Dubai. Victims included highly qualified individuals such as doctors, engineers, MBAs, and others seeking international work opportunities.
The Operation Unveiled
The Cyber Crime team successfully arrested seven accused, including the alleged masterminds of the gang. Among those arrested are Hariram Pandey, Anurag Dikshit, Azhar Ansari, and four women believed to be key operators. The gang targeted job seekers by creating and operating fake websites resembling reputed job portals such as naukri.com and jobsearch portals, and then collected personal data of unsuspecting applicants.
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Once the data was in their hands, the accused used caller ID manipulation tools (VOIP/BDI technology) to make phone calls appear as though they were coming from genuine international or corporate numbers. Victims were then contacted and asked to pay registration or verification fees, with false promises of securing high-paying jobs abroad.
Victims Across India
According to the Cyber Crime team, individuals from Punjab, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and several districts of Uttar Pradesh were trapped by the racket. Those arrested had obtained data of more than 26,800 job seekers from fake and genuine portals. Authorities suspect the scam may have impacted more than a lakh people across the country. The fraudulent group mainly operated through call centres and often used well-designed websites and fake interviews to gain the trust of victims. In one case, a youth was cheated of Rs 47,000 after being offered a position in a well-known overseas company.
Professional Execution with Sophisticated Setup
The scammers operated in a highly organized manner. Police revealed that they used software like Class 4 Softswitch and Auto Dialer to automate calls and keep track of conversations. Each member of the gang had defined roles, from data extraction and voice calling to collecting money and operating fake verification portals. Moreover, they rented a subdomain of a reputed job portal and used the interface to build trust. Victims were made to believe they were interacting with an actual recruitment firm. Once convinced, they were asked to pay various charges in the name of visa processing, documentation, and job confirmation.
Quote from the Cyber Crime Unit
“The gang ran a highly coordinated scam targeting educated professionals. It is a wake-up call for job aspirants to stay vigilant against too-good-to-be-true offers,” said an officer from the cyber crime team.
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Legal Action and Ongoing Investigation
The accused have been booked under serious charges including cyber fraud, identity theft, and impersonation, and the Gangsters Act may also be invoked. Police have seized electronic devices, fake documents, call records, and financial transaction data as evidence. The investigation has revealed that this gang has been operating since 2015 and has duped victims by presenting themselves as representatives of multinational companies or overseas embassies.
Police Appeal and Advisory
Authorities have urged job seekers to verify the authenticity of job offers, especially those demanding upfront payments. They also warned against sharing personal data on unverified portals.