Lucknow: In a major crackdown on cyber fraud targeting job seekers, the Cyber Crime Cell of the Lucknow Commissionerate has busted an illegal call centre allegedly involved in duping unemployed youth across the country under the pretext of providing jobs in banks and reputed companies. Three accused have been arrested and a large quantity of incriminating material used in the fraud has been seized.
The operation, codenamed “Operation Fake Job,” was launched following complaints received through the cyber crime portal, IGRS references, technical analysis and cyber intelligence inputs. Investigators discovered that a call centre operating in the Vibhutikhand area of Lucknow was allegedly running an organized employment scam targeting job aspirants nationwide.
Acting on the directions of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kiran Yadav, special teams of the Crime Branch Cyber Cell conducted a raid at the premises located near Sai Tower in Vibhutikhand and arrested three individuals involved in the operation.
Modus Operandi
According to investigators, the accused purchased personal data of unemployed job seekers from online job portals and other sources. Posing as HR executives of reputed banks and companies, they contacted candidates and offered employment opportunities.
To gain the victims’ trust, the accused allegedly sent forged joining letters, offer letters, confirmation letters, registration documents and job-seeker agreements through WhatsApp and email. Once convinced, candidates were asked to deposit money under various heads, including registration fees, interview charges, verification fees and placement fees. The funds were transferred to multiple bank accounts controlled by the accused.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted that they regularly purchased data of thousands of job seekers every month from employment platforms and systematically targeted them through phone calls and digital communication. Different identities, names and mobile numbers were used to pose as company representatives and HR officials.
Extensive Evidence Recovered
The police recovered a significant amount of evidence from the call centre, including:
- Six mobile phones allegedly used in the fraud
- ₹2,060 in cash
- One Maruti Suzuki Fronx car
- Fourteen SIM cards of various telecom companies
- Ten debit cards
- Two passbooks and cheque books
- Two signed cheques
- One identity card
- More than 213 forged documents, including fake job-seeker agreements, joining letters, confirmation letters, registration letters, client data sheets, emails and WhatsApp chats
Investigators also examined mobile numbers and IMEI details recovered during the raid. Verification through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) revealed multiple complaints from different states linked to the same numbers and devices.
Previous Action Against Similar Racket
Police officials noted that this is the second major action against employment-related cyber fraud in recent weeks. On June 12, a joint team of the Crime Branch Cyber Cell and Cyber Police Station had arrested five individuals running a similar fraudulent call centre. During that operation, multiple mobile phones, a laptop, forged joining letters and candidate data sheets were recovered.
Case Registered
A case has been registered at Vibhutikhand Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act relating to cheating, forgery, impersonation and cyber fraud.
Accused Arrested
The arrested accused have been identified as:
- Balram Tiwari (25), a resident of Hardoi district, alleged manager and operator of the call centre.
- Shailesh Kumar alias HR Shikhar Tripathi (32), a resident of Amethi district, who allegedly worked as an HR caller.
- Nitesh Sharma alias HR Ajit Singh (24), a resident of Deoria district, who allegedly worked as an HR caller.
Ongoing Investigation
Police said that several online complaints involving fraud amounting to lakhs of rupees have been traced to the mobile numbers, IMEI devices and bank accounts linked to the accused. Authorities are contacting complainants from different states and expanding the investigation to identify additional victims and possible accomplices.
Public Advisory
Additional DCP (Crime) Kiran Yadav urged citizens to remain vigilant while applying for jobs online. She advised job seekers to verify the authenticity of employers before making any payment and to rely only on official company websites, verified email addresses and authorized HR representatives.
Citizens have also been advised not to share Aadhaar details, PAN information, bank account credentials or OTPs with unknown persons and to independently verify any joining letters or employment offers received through WhatsApp or email.
In case of cyber fraud, victims are encouraged to immediately contact the National Cyber Helpline 1930 or lodge a complaint through the national cyber crime reporting portal.
Police reiterated that awareness and vigilance remain the strongest safeguards against cyber crime and employment-related scams.
