Fake placement racket fleeces 250 job-seekers

Lucknow: Investigations by the cyber crime cell and cyber police station of the Lucknow commissionerate have revealed that a fake job placement call centre busted in Vibhuti Khand had allegedly duped around 250 job aspirants across the country and siphoned off crores of rupees through fraudulent recruitment schemes.The revelations emerged after the arrest of five accused during a raid on an illegal call centre operating from the fourth floor of RS Tower in Vibhuti Khand on Friday. Those arrested have been identified as Zeeshan Khan (30), Satish Pal (23), Sonali Chaurasia (19), Shivani Verma (21), and Neelu Verma (19).Police said the operation was unearthed following an analysis of cybercrime data, surveillance inputs and intelligence regarding illegal call centres involved in online fraud.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the gang specifically targeted unemployed youth and fresh graduates seeking jobs in reputed companies.According to investigators, the accused posed as representatives of leading recruitment platforms and promised placements in prominent companies, including multinational firms. Once candidates expressed interest, their calls were allegedly transferred to senior operators who introduced themselves as HR executives of the concerned companies.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (crime) Kiran Yadav, who supervised the investigation, said the racket was operating in a highly organised manner. “Once candidates expressed interest, their calls were allegedly transferred to senior operators who posed as HR executives of the companies. Victims were then sent forged offer letters, joining letters, registration documents and approval letters through WhatsApp and were asked to pay registration fees, gate-pass charges, document verification fees and other processing costs,” Yadav said.The probe further revealed that the accused used forged documents carrying the logos, seals and signatures of reputed companies to gain the trust of job seekers. The victims were persuaded to transfer money under various pretexts linked to recruitment formalities.Police said verification of seized mobile numbers and IMEI details through the national cyber crime reporting portal uncovered more than 60 cyber fraud complaints registered against the devices from several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal.During the raid, police seized 11 keypad mobile phones, Android devices, a laptop and 72 data sheets containing personal details of prospective candidates. Examination of the seized laptop revealed forged offer letters, joining letters and employment documents purportedly issued by leading companies. Investigators also recovered fake appointment documents prepared in the names of multiple candidates, offering annual salary packages ranging between ₹4 lakh and ₹6 lakh.Police suspect the fraud network extends beyond Uttar Pradesh and are now investigating possible links with operatives in other states. Efforts are underway to identify and trace additional members of the syndicate who may still be active elsewhere in the country.A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and further investigation is in progress.