MUMBAI: A total of 125 job aspirants from different states-Bihar, Gujarat, Kolkata, New Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh-were duped collectively to the tune of Rs1 crore allegedly by a fraud overseas job placement agency in Malad (West). At least 24 job aspirants filed a complaint on Thursday with the Malad police against four persons, including a woman, of Ayesha Placement Agency for duping them of Rs17.75 lakhs after promising them a job as a carpenter, crane operator, fabricator, fitter, forklift operator, driver, helper, painter, and welder in overseas locations.
The fraudster who was operating the agency in a rented office fled away within a few months after they started operating the fraud. Those wanted in the case, Abhimanyu Singh, Satish Pandey, Anam Ansari, and a 22-year-old woman, fled away after siphoning money from the job aspirants with the help of the data they seem to have got after flashing advertisements on social media sites and local newspapers. “The fraudster has issued fake flight tickets, visa, and employment offer letters to aspirants after collecting money from them depending upon the job trade they are looking for. The money the fraudsters charged was in the range from Rs50000 to Rs1 lakh from each person,” said a police officer of the Malad police station.
One of the victims Virendra Singh (51) who hails from UP was duped of Rs65,000 after he paid for a crane operator job in refineries. Singh received the call in Jan and was offered the job at Shell Oil & Gas Company in South Africa as a crane operator. In the complaint, Singh said: “I was searching for an overseas job after returning back from the Gulf in 2020 due to a pandemic outbreak. When I received the call from the placement agency I paid the sum and I was asked to come down to Mumbai to collect the travel documents. I was offered an employment offer letter.”
Singh was given the offer letter after he sent documents–biodata, passport photo, previous companies experience certificate, police clearance certificate–on Feb 18. “I received the offer letter on Mar 8 on my WhatsApp from the agency. On Mar 19, they sent the soft copy of the work permit on my mobile and asked to make the payments. I realised that I was duped when I reached Mumbai on Apr 3 and found the fraudulent air ticket and visa stamp.”
A police officer said when Singh went to the agency office in Malad he noticed around 125 individuals, including welders and fitters, were deceived, with the agency amassing Rs1 crore in total. The fraudster has shut down the office after siphoning money and documents of many job aspirants.
A case under the Indian Penal Code sections for criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery has been registered against the four wanted accused.
The fraudster who was operating the agency in a rented office fled away within a few months after they started operating the fraud. Those wanted in the case, Abhimanyu Singh, Satish Pandey, Anam Ansari, and a 22-year-old woman, fled away after siphoning money from the job aspirants with the help of the data they seem to have got after flashing advertisements on social media sites and local newspapers. “The fraudster has issued fake flight tickets, visa, and employment offer letters to aspirants after collecting money from them depending upon the job trade they are looking for. The money the fraudsters charged was in the range from Rs50000 to Rs1 lakh from each person,” said a police officer of the Malad police station.
One of the victims Virendra Singh (51) who hails from UP was duped of Rs65,000 after he paid for a crane operator job in refineries. Singh received the call in Jan and was offered the job at Shell Oil & Gas Company in South Africa as a crane operator. In the complaint, Singh said: “I was searching for an overseas job after returning back from the Gulf in 2020 due to a pandemic outbreak. When I received the call from the placement agency I paid the sum and I was asked to come down to Mumbai to collect the travel documents. I was offered an employment offer letter.”
Singh was given the offer letter after he sent documents–biodata, passport photo, previous companies experience certificate, police clearance certificate–on Feb 18. “I received the offer letter on Mar 8 on my WhatsApp from the agency. On Mar 19, they sent the soft copy of the work permit on my mobile and asked to make the payments. I realised that I was duped when I reached Mumbai on Apr 3 and found the fraudulent air ticket and visa stamp.”
A police officer said when Singh went to the agency office in Malad he noticed around 125 individuals, including welders and fitters, were deceived, with the agency amassing Rs1 crore in total. The fraudster has shut down the office after siphoning money and documents of many job aspirants.
A case under the Indian Penal Code sections for criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery has been registered against the four wanted accused.
