KOCHI: The Police on Friday arrested a woman who was running an overseas educational consultancy for allegedly cheating a Thrissur resident of Rs 5.23 lakh by promising a job in the UK.
The accused, identified as Karthika Pradeep, owner of Take Off Overseas Educational Consultancy, allegedly offered job as a social worker in the UK and collected money from the complainant in multiple instalments. The payments were made between August 26 and December 14, 2024, through NEFT and Google Pay to her South Indian Bank account in Kaloor branch. However, after receiving the payment, the promised visa was not arranged.
Originally from Pathanamthitta and currently residing in Thrissur, she was arrested from Kozhikode by a team led by Ernakulam Central Station House Officer Anish Joy. The team also comprised sub inspector Anoop Chacko, civil police officers Unnikrishnan, Nayana and Harishbabu.
Police said the consultancy has been facing similar complaints from job aspirants across several districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, and Kozhikode. Investigations further revealed that the firm was operating without a valid licence to recruit people for overseas jobs.