Cyber fraudsters step up overseas hiring game, Kerala cops find going tough
KOCHI: Setting their sights on people desperate to make a life in foreign countries, cyber fraudsters have forayed into the overseas recruitment space offering high remuneration and swindling lakhs from unsuspecting job aspirants. And the police are finding it hard to contain fake recruitment agencies active in Ernakulam district, with instances of visa cheating, in particular, reported regularly.
To make matters worse, the fraudsters are finding smarter ways to dupe people. They have started contacting aspirants directly, claiming to be human resource (HR) managers of companies based in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
The latest such incident was reported at the Ernakulam Rural Cyber Police. A Kadungallur resident was contacted by a person claiming to be the HR manager of ASDA Superstores, a well-known supermarket chain in the UK, a police officer said.
“The victim was told that ASDA Superstores was interested in hiring him. He was asked to email all his educational and professional details. Once he did so, he was offered the job and the fraudsters promised to process the visa for the him to join the firm in the UK. Subsequently, the victim was told to pay visa processing charges, towards which he deposited `11.02 lakh in nine bank accounts mentioned by the fraudsters,” the officer said.
However, after making the payment, he neither received a visa nor was his money returned. And his attempts to contact the person who was in touch with him proved futile, as the caller became inaccessible after receiving the money. Realising the fraud, the victim lodged a complaint with the police.
“It looks like a fraudster accessed the details about the victim through job portals and social media platforms. Some of the bank accounts to which money was sent are in India. Based on them, an investigation is on,” the police officer said.
Last year, an Aluva resident lost around `3 lakh after he was contacted by a person claiming to be an employee of a leading recruitment firm in Qatar. The victim was offered a job in a European country. After he made the payment demanded, no contact could be established with the accused persons.
Cyber law expert Jiyas Jamal said such frauds are carried out from abroad where Keralites are hired to cheat people back home.
“Several victims have complained of receiving fake offers of attractive overseas jobs from persons they befriended online. In most such cases, the fraudsters operate from cities abroad,” he said.
Jiyas said call centres are already known to be operational in Dubai and other Gulf cities to perpetrate cyber fraud. “This is done to evade action from the police in India. But money is taken from victims through Indian bank accounts. Now, even the services of overseas agencies will be required to bust these firms,” he said.
Despite action against bogus foreign recruitment agencies operating in Kochi, numerous persons continue to fall into their trap. Over the past week alone, five such cases were reported at various police stations in Kochi.
The Ernakulam South police registered a case against a foreign recruitment firm in Ravipuram for cheating a woman by offering her the job of a “care assistant” in the UK. The victim ended up paying `10.5 lakh to the accused and she was given a fake certificate of sponsorship stating that a UK-licensed employer had offered her a job. Last year, the police launched a crackdown against overseas recruitment companies operating without the licence of the Protector of Emigrants in Kochi. As many as 20 such firms were shut down. However, police officials said more bogus firms have popped up in Kochi as overseas jobs and education are in demand.
Modus operandi
Scammers are contacting aspirants directly, claiming to be HR managers of foreign companies
Frauds are carried out from abroad where Keralites are hired to cheat people back home, says expert