One person from Uttar Pradesh was arrested by the Hyderabad cybercrimes police for cheating job aspirants by promising them jobs.
The accused, identified as Dharmender Kumar, alias Rohan, 30, masterminded the operation from a call centre in Delhi. He was found to be involved in at least five cases across the country, one of which is in Hyderabad.
The case came to light following a complaint from a 49-year-old victim from Amberpet stating that in July 2024, while searching for job opportunities, he came across a website named “go2career” and registered himself. Soon after, he received a call from an unknown number, where the caller claimed to offer him a position at the Hyderabad branch of Optum, a health-tech company. The fraudster convinced the victim that a payment was required for internal file processing, and trusting the offer, the man transferred a total of ₹15.88 lakh into various bank accounts provided by the accused.
It was only when the fraudster demanded additional money that he realised that he is being scammed. A case was booked and the investigation revealed that Kumar and his associates had been operating a well-organised job scam, targeting unsuspecting job seekers through fake job postings on popular employment portals, social media platforms, and even fraudulent company websites.
The fraudsters would initiate contact with victims through unsolicited calls, emails, or messages, posing as representatives of well-known companies. To establish credibility, they used professional language, conducted fake interviews, and even created fictitious employee profiles on platforms like LinkedIn. In many cases, they also requested sensitive personal documents, including bank details, Aadhaar cards, and passports, under the pretext of completing hiring formalities.
Following Kumar’s arrest, the police seized three mobile phones and three laptops, which are now being examined for further evidence. Investigation is underway to identify more victims.
Published – February 25, 2025 08:18 pm IST