Police in Delhi have arrested a 35-year-old man from Ghaziabad for allegedly running a sophisticated one-man job fraud operation, using a fake Air India website and targeted Instagram advertisements to dupe aspiring candidates.
The Elaborate Scam: From Instagram Ad to Fake Offer Letter
The case came to light after a 26-year-old woman, Ritu Singh, a resident of Geeta Colony in Delhi's Shahdara, filed a complaint. According to police, Singh was browsing Instagram on June 6 when she encountered an advertisement for airline jobs. Clicking the link led her to a Google form, which she filled out, sending her resume to the provided email ID.
The very next day, she received a WhatsApp message from a profile bearing the Air India logo. She was asked to pay Rs 945 as an application processing fee, which she did. Subsequently, she received an offer letter from Vistara, which is now merged with Air India. Over the following months, until November, the fraudster continued to demand money for uniforms, document processing, and transportation, eventually swindling Rs 3 lakh from her.
The One-Man Operation Unraveled
The scam collapsed when the communication stopped and Singh realized she had been conned. A cyber police team from Shahdara, led by Inspector Vijay Kumar, began an investigation. The accused, identified as Rohit Mishra, was arrested on Thursday, December 19, 2025, from Ghaziabad.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam stated that the investigation revealed Mishra operated alone using a suite of deceptive tools. "The fraudster sent emails and subsequent messages from a mobile number, through which he gained the complainant’s confidence and induced her to make payment for various job-related formalities," DCP Gautam said.
Police recovered crucial evidence from Mishra's possession, including:
- The mobile phone used for the scam.
- Multiple QR codes for receiving payments.
- Fake offer letters and other forged documents.
- A WhatsApp profile saved as 'Air Vistara' with the airline's logo.
His toolkit also included fake email IDs, forged documents, and a domain name used to create a counterfeit Air India website to lend credibility to his scheme.
A History of Fraud and Key Takeaways
Authorities disclosed that Rohit Mishra was previously involved in two other cases registered with the Delhi Crime Branch, indicating a pattern of involvement in cheating and organized cyber fraud.
This case highlights the increasing sophistication of online job scams. Job seekers are advised to exercise extreme caution:
- Always verify job offers by contacting the company directly through official channels listed on their genuine website.
- Be wary of unsolicited job offers received via social media ads or messaging platforms.
- Never pay large sums of money upfront for "processing fees," uniforms, or documentation.
- Check the authenticity of websites and email addresses carefully for slight misspellings or unusual domains.
The arrest serves as a warning to fraudsters and a reminder for the public to remain vigilant in the digital job market.
