New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) In a major crackdown on cyber fraud, the Cyber Police Station of Delhi’s South District has busted a fake job racket that duped dozens of unemployed youth by offering bogus employment opportunities in IndiGo Airlines, the Delhi Police said on Saturday.

According to police, nine people, including the mastermind, an employee of a telecom service provider, and seven women telecallers, have been arrested.

Police said the accused posed as recruiters on job portals such as OLX and lured victims with offers of jobs in reputed airlines. Once convinced, victims were asked to pay “processing” and “uniform” charges, amounting to thousands of rupees.

During the investigation, more than 40 linked complaints were traced on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

The kingpin, Vikash Kumar alias Vickey (38), a resident of Subhash Nagar, West Delhi, was arrested following a raid led by Inspector Hansraj Swami under the supervision of ACP Arvind Kumar.

His associate, Baljeet Singh (31), employed with a telecom company in Vikaspuri, allegedly supplied SIM cards obtained through the misuse of customer biometrics. Seven female telecallers — recruited via “Job Hai” and “Work India” portals — were apprehended from a fake call centre in Tilak Nagar, where they were earning Rs 15,000 per month for luring job seekers.

“The telecallers had been recruited through online job portals such as ‘Job Hai’ and ‘Work India’ and were being paid Rs 15,000/- per month in cash. They were actively involved in calling, convincing and collecting personal details of job seekers. All seven women were apprehended on the spot,” police said in a press note.

Police recovered 22 mobile phones, one desktop computer, 19 SIM cards, QR codes linked to fake bank accounts, and a Wi-Fi router used in the fraud.

Similarly, eight UPI IDs and QR Codes of bank accounts used to collect the cheated amount have also been recovered.

According to investigators, the gang followed a three-step process: victims first paid Rs 2,500 as a security deposit, followed by Rs 5,000-Rs 8,000 for uniforms, and later another Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 to “open a salary account.”

Many victims refrained from complaining due to the small sums involved, which allowed the fraud to continue for over a year.

Police advised citizens to remain cautious of job offers on social media and OLX, and to never pay money for employment. Suspicious cases can be reported via the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930) or their official website, or by visiting the nearest Police Station.

–IANS

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