3 held for duping gullible people on pretext of providing jobs

A crime branch unit on Sunday said it had unearthed a gang duping some ‘gullible’ people on pretext of providing jobs abroad using a United States (US) mobile number and a fake website.

The suspects — Deepak Pandey (33), Yash Singh (23) and Wasim Akram (25) — were taken into custody from Zamrudpur on September 9, officials said.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vikram Singh, the trio created a bogus website, fake social media profiles and even used a US-based phone number to appear credible.

They allegedly posed as representatives of VFS Global, issuing forged employment letters, visa-related papers and appointment slips to cheat aspirants seeking work abroad.

The scheme surfaced when VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology services firm that handles visa and passport applications, filed a complaint about the misuse of its name and logo. The company reported that fraudsters were impersonating its staff and charging people for services that were never provided.

Investigators found that the group registered the domain in 2021 and linked it to addresses in Nehru Place and Janakpuri.

They promoted their ‘services’ online, using VFS Global’s branding to lure victims. As part of their modus operandi, the accused reportedly sent applicants an official-looking “document checklist” via social media. They then demanded fees for medical tests and booked genuine diagnostic appointments to make the scam seem authentic, a police spokesperson said.

Singh added that once the payments were made, the victims received counterfeit work visa applications, job offers, immigration clearances, tax papers and police verification forms, with further charges imposed at each stage.

One complainant, Atul Kumar Takle, was allegedly defrauded of Rs 3.16 lakh.

The police said they had identified other Indian and foreign nationals who were also targeted.

The investigation tracked several bank accounts, SIM cards, email addresses and IPs linked to the operation.

The suspects allegedly used location-masking tools and US-based numbers to communicate with clients. During the raid, officers seized laptops, mobile phones, forged paperwork, specialised software for document fabrication and financial records tied to the fraud, a personnel said.

Deepak Pandey, believed to be the mastermind, reportedly admitted to his role during questioning, and his statement was supported by forensic data, email traces, victim statements and banking evidence, leading to the arrests of Singh and Akram, the cop added.

The police are now tracing the money trail and looking into whether more people were part of the network.