NEW DELHI: A Delhi-based gang that allegedly duped aspiring overseas job seekers with fake visa appointments and forged employment documents has been dismantled with the arrest of three men, police said on Sunday. The elaborate fraud, which mimicked the brand identity of multinational firm VFS Global, left victims across India cheated of lakhs.
The accused, identified as Deepak Pandey (33), Yash Singh (23) and Wasim Akram (25), were apprehended by the Crime Branch during a raid in Zamrudpur on September 9. Police said Pandey, considered the mastermind, orchestrated the scheme using a fake website, doctored social media accounts and US-based phone numbers to project legitimacy.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vikram Singh, the accused forged visa-related documents, appointment slips and employment confirmation letters to job seekers. “They extorted lakhs of rupees by exploiting the aspirations of those desperate to work abroad,” he said.
The operation came under scrutiny after VFS Global filed a complaint alleging misuse of its name and logo. Investigators found that the gang had purchased the domain name “paramountoversease.co.in” in 2021, falsely associating it with office addresses in Nehru Place and Janakpuri to gain credibility. They also promoted their services online, masquerading as official representatives of VFS.
Police said the group followed a layered modus operandi. Victims were first sent a checklist of required documents, followed by demands for payments under the guise of medical tests and processing charges. To strengthen the illusion, genuine diagnostic appointments were arranged before victims were handed fabricated work visa applications, job offers and immigration approvals.
One complainant, Atul Kumar Takle, was reportedly defrauded of `3.16 lakh. Investigators suspect several others, including foreign nationals, fell prey to the racket. Officials said the raid led to the seizure of laptops, phones, forged papers, bank records and software used for document fabrication. Technical analysis of email IDs, SIM cards and IP addresses revealed that the accused used masking tools and US-based numbers to communicate with victims.