A 47-year-old resident of Airoli fell victim to cyber fraud, losing Rs 5.99 lakhs in a job scam. The fraudsters duped him with promises of employment, extracting money for various procedures and providing a fake offer letter. The victim, currently unemployed after leaving his previous job for personal reasons, received a call on February 2, 2024, purportedly from Rishav Sharma at a Noida-based job portal office. Sharma claimed to have shortlisted the victim's resume for a position and requested Rs 5000 for registration after clearing the initial interview round. Using email IDs similar to legitimate companies, the fraudsters conducted interviews via video conferencing. After clearing the first round, the victim paid Rs 5000 and was then asked to provide personal documents such as PAN, Aadhar, and others.
The scam escalated as the victim was coerced into paying Rs 1,04,290 for a certification course, document background verification, medical supervision, and other supposed requirements for employment. In a similar manner, the victim ended up paying a total of Rs 5,99,390, receiving what turned out to be a forged offer letter from a reputed company in Navi Mumbai. Upon attempting to contact the fraudsters again, the victim discovered that all provided phone numbers were switched off. Further inquiry with the supposed hiring company revealed that the appointment letter was indeed fake. The victim reported the incident to Rabale police, filing a complaint. An investigation is underway, with a case registered against unidentified individuals under relevant sections of the IPC and the IT Act.