Visakhapatnam: Cybercriminals have defrauded over 30 young individuals from various parts of Vizag of more than Rs 1 crore collectively, by promising them employment in IT companies, banks, and reputed multinational corporations (MNCs).
Modus Operandi of the Scam
A 30-year-old resident of Vizag city accepted a friend request on Facebook from a person named Shashank. During regular conversations, Shashank assured him that he could secure employment in MNCs and the banking sector. Subsequently, Shashank induced the victim to transfer money for the registration process and other proceedings.
Trusting Shashank, the victim transferred approximately Rs 10 lakh through UPI payments. However, no employment was provided, and Shashank ceased communication with the victim. Realizing he had been cheated, the victim approached the cybercrime police station in Vizag city and lodged a complaint, seeking stringent action against the accused and recovery of the lost amount.
Similar Cases Reported
In a similar incident, cybercriminals duped another youngster by promising employment in a bank. The fraudster informed the victim that he needed to pay a certain amount to secure the job. The victim transferred Rs 2 lakh to a bank account provided to him. The caller subsequently demanded more money, claiming it was necessary for further proceedings. The complainant ended up transferring a total of Rs 10 lakh to different bank accounts.
Cybercrooks have been targeting netizens, especially youngsters, under the guise of employment opportunities in IT firms and banks, duping them of lakhs of rupees. The fraudsters also share fake offer letters with victims. In some cases, complainants realized the letters were fake only after the company denied issuing any such job offers.
Rise of Fake Job Rackets
Fake job rackets have become a booming industry, exacerbated by shrinking job opportunities in both public and private sectors. Cybercriminals increasingly tailor their scams based on their targets, exploiting various patterns to siphon off large sums of money from unsuspecting victims, a senior police officer noted.
Police have advised the public to be wary of job opportunities that seem too good to be true. Any information about such job scams should be reported to the police helpline number 1930 or on the website cybercrime.gov.in.
