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Criminals are continually innovating, which means that fraud and its associated costs represent evolving threats that cannot be easily mitigated. Photo: Shutterstock
About 200 young people, mainly from West Bengal, were rescued from a fake job racket in Bihar’s Purnea district, the police said on Wednesday. The racket was uncovered after one of the victims, Akhli Mandal, from Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal, managed to escape and alert the authorities.
What happened in Purnea?
The police acted swiftly after Akhli Mandal’s escape and raided several locations in Purnea, rescuing 200 youths. The victims had been lured with promises of employment and were brought to Purnea under false pretences. “Police conducted searches at several locations in Purnea and rescued 200 youths from the clutches of the accused. The victim, in his complaint, told police that the youths, mostly residents of West Bengal, were promised jobs and brought to Purnea,” the police said in a statement.
Purnea is located near the Bihar-West Bengal border, making it a convenient location for the traffickers to operate.
How did the racket work?
The accused had set up an online fake job racket, where unsuspecting individuals were convinced to transfer Rs 21,000 as a job placement fee. Once they arrived in Purnea, however, they were confined in rented accommodations and threatened. “The accused were running an online fake job racket and those who contacted them were asked to transfer Rs 21,000. When they reached Purnea, they were threatened and they were confined at certain rented accommodations. They were not provided any jobs as promised by the accused,” the police statement added.
It was Akhil Mandal’s escape and subsequent complaint at the SP office that prompted the rescue operation. “Somehow, Akhil Mandal managed to flee and lodged a complaint with the SP office,” the police said.
Another fake job racket exposed by CBI
In a separate incident, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) booked 10 people, including a dismissed sepoy in July, for running a racket that promised employment in the Indian Army, Territorial Army, Assam Rifles, and other institutions in exchange for money. According to the CBI’s enquiry, the accused had collected over Rs 1.43 crore in his and his wife’s accounts between 2020 and 2022.
NIA arrests in trafficking case
Earlier this year, on May 27, 2024, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested five individuals suspected of being involved in a similar fake job racket. The NIA revealed that the accused were part of an organised trafficking syndicate, luring young Indians abroad with false promises of legal employment. “NIA investigations have revealed the accused to be involved in an organised trafficking syndicate engaged in luring and trafficking Indian youth to foreign countries on the false promises of legal employment. The youth were being forced to work in fake call centres and were coerced into undertaking illegal activities online,” said the NIA in a press release.
How to spot fake job postings
With fake job rackets on the rise, it’s important to be able to identify the warning signs of a scam before falling victim. According to Randstad, a human resource consulting services firm, here are ten signs to watch out for when you’re looking at job offers:
1. If money is involved: You’re asked to transfer money for a medical check, work pass application, or even to attend an interview.
2. Lack of a legitimate online presence: The company has no website or corporate social media account.
3. Suspicious email addresses: The job offer comes from a personal email, a “no-reply” email, or not from an official company domain like Randstad’s.
4. You didn’t apply: If you’ve been offered a job that you never applied for, be cautious.
5. Too good to be true: The job offer seems unbelievably attractive with promises that don’t match reality.
6. Unclear job description: If the job description is vague or too short, that’s a red flag.
7. Poor language use: Job ads or messages riddled with typos and grammatical errors are suspicious.
8. Random social media posts: Finding the job ad in random social media communities is not a good sign.
9. Limited communication channels: They only communicate via social media or messaging platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
10. Asking for personal info: Be wary if they ask for sensitive personal details like your mobile number or ID photo via messaging platforms.
Protect yourself from fraudulent job offers
“When searching for a job, avoid responding to unsolicited job advertisements found in random Facebook groups or messaging platforms. Always be cautious when receiving suspicious job offers through email, social media, or messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Additionally, if you receive calls from unknown numbers offering you jobs, it’s best to avoid engaging,” Randstad suggests on its portal.
Never disclose your personal or banking information to people or companies you aren’t familiar with, as it puts your privacy and security at risk.
The growing number of such incidents has prompted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to issue an advisory. On May 17, 2024, the MEA warned Indian nationals of fake job offers in Laos via Thailand, where individuals were being offered roles such as ‘digital sales and marketing executives’ or ‘customer support service’ by dubious companies. “Instances have also come to notice recently wherein Indian nationals are being lured for employment through Thailand in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) – also known as Laos. These fake jobs are for posts such as ‘Digital Sales and Marketing Executives’ or ‘Customer Support Service’ by dubious companies,” the MEA advisory stated.
First Published: Sep 19 2024 | 5:58 PM IST
