In a distressing incident, a man from Pune has been defrauded of a staggering Rs 24 lakh after believing he had secured a legitimate job offer online. This cautionary tale sheds light on the elaborate tactics employed by fraudsters in a scheme that unfolded over several months, leaving the victim in financial ruin.
The fraudulent saga began in March 2023 when the victim received a phone call from a woman posing as an executive affiliated with a reputed recruitment facilitator. The caller, presenting a lucrative job opportunity at the Indian division of an international automobile manufacturer, initiated a chain of events that ultimately led to a substantial loss for the unsuspecting man.
To progress with the supposed job application, the victim was coerced into completing a registration process on a designated online platform, accompanied by an initial payment of Rs 1,600. The process included a telephonic interview, a congratulatory email on acceptance, and requests for academic and professional documents.
The fraudsters, adept at assuming the guise of legitimate entities, then exploited the victim’s trust, demanding funds under various pretexts. These included payments for a company uniform (Rs 28,000), a comprehensive medical examination (Rs 80,000), and an advance salary payment (Rs 2.4 lakh). Over the next five months, the victim transferred funds in approximately 40 transactions, cumulatively amounting to Rs 24 lakh.
Realizing the deception, the victim approached the cybercrime police station for assistance. The incident underscores the sophisticated methods employed by fraudsters, involving counterfeit email addresses, fictitious phone numbers, and the creation of a fake website for the alleged recruitment facilitator firm. The fraudsters even posed as the Vice President of Human Resources at the multinational automobile manufacturer.
As the cybercrime police delve into the investigation.
