CHANDIGARH: Youngstes from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh seeking better forutnes abroad are falling prey to fraudulent and unregistered agencies offering fake overseas jobs.
The fake jobs are offered are in Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Chile, Mexico, Dubai, Luxembourg, Cambodia, Thailand, Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal and Kuwait.
The new trend, which is catching up, is that the unemployed youth are lured through advertisements on social media. Telecallers convince them later. Once they agree to the offer, they are made to sign legal agreements so that they cannot challenge in any court of law of been 'cheated'.
Talking to TNIE, the Protectorate of Emigrants, Chandigarh, Yashu Deep Singh highlighted the increasing number of cases of exploitation of Indian citizens by fraudulent and unregistered agencies offering fake overseas jobs.
"Over the past year, we have shared a total of 52 complaints and inputs related to illegal overseas employment with the Nodal Officer of Chandigarh Police. These efforts have led to the registration of 13 FIRs against illegal agents by the Chandigarh Police. Additionally, 32 notices have been issued under the Emigration Act, 1983, to unregistered agents based in Chandigarh for advertising overseas jobs, employment visas, and work permits without proper authorisation,’’ he said.
Explaining on how the youth are cheated and how fake overseas jobs network works, Singh said that on social media, be it Facebook, instagram and whatsapp, advertisements are provided by unauthorised travel agents promising jobs abroad.
"The youth contact them on the provided phone numbers as no address is given in these advertisements, and once they fall into their trap, the telecallers contact them repeatedly, brainwash them about a brighter future and good pay packages. Once these teller-callers are sure that the youngsters are ready to pay, they are called to their office and an agreement is signed with them for a job abroad to avoid any legal hassles later on. When the youth do not get a job, they will come back to the agent and demand their money back. Thus, legally, these agents want to make sure that they are legally protected and no criminal case is registered against them; at most, only a civil suit can be filed against them,’’ Singh said.
"The lured youth are told to pay anywhere between Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, and a fake offer letter and visa are issued to them. They are later told that for some reason, they could not avail the job and money they have paid is non-refundable as they have already signed a legal agreement with them. The jobs which are offered to them are of helpers, waiters carpenters, cooks, housekeepers, masons, drivers, electricians, food packers, security guards, plumbers, crane operators and so forth,’’ he added.
A joint team from the Protectorate of Emigrants, Chandigarh and Chandigarh Police raided the premises of an unregistered immigration agent in Sector 34-A on June 14.
The firm was found to be offering overseas jobs without a valid license and later a case was registered.
Also, numerous incriminating documents, including two laptops, 17 mobile phones, fake overseas job offer letters, and other evidence, were seized.
"This unregistered firm had been using social media platforms to lure unsuspecting youth with false promises of high-paying overseas jobs in hotels and construction companies in countries such as Georgia, Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Dubai. Further investigations, including financial trails, are currently underway to identify and arrest the owners and others involved,’’ he said.
Singh also informed that the firm for the last ten months, was operating teller-caller services and young ladies were employed to call the prospective clients.
"They were taught what to speak to the client and what to offer. They were given fake names and the mobiles they operated were issued by the firms so that the youth would never ever be able to trace them back," he added.
The statements of all the girls were recorded and were let off.
"The complaint in the case was that a youth was promised a job is Jordan, and he paid Rs 1.15 lakh, but later he was told that he cannot get the job due to hostilities between India and Pakistan,’’ he said.
Singh said,`` We urge youth not to fall prey to misleading social media advertisements offered by illegal and unregistered agents offering high-paying overseas job offers. Such agents frequently target destinations including Azerbaijan, Jordan, Luxembourg, Georgia, Cambodia, and Thailand. Aspiring overseas job seekers are strongly advised to verify the credentials of recruiting agents through the official eMigrate portal of the Ministry of External Affairs: www.emigrate.gov.in and on Twitter handle @PoEChandigarh.’’