Delhi: Online job scam busted, kingpin among 13 held

In a major crackdown on cyber fraud, Delhi Police have busted an illegal call centre that was running a nationwide online job scam. Fourteen individuals, including the kingpin, have been arrested in connection with the racket, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The scam targeted job seekers by posing as recruiters on legitimate job portals such as Shine.com and Naukri.com. Victims were duped into making multiple payments under the pretext of securing employment, covering fictitious costs like training, documentation, and delivery of work kits.

The investigation began after a woman lodged a complaint with the cyber cell. She had uploaded her résumé online in January while seeking a job in the medical sector. On 27 January, she received a call from a woman identifying herself as “Priya,” who offered her a job and requested a refundable security deposit of Rs 500.

“After she transferred the amount, a man named Atul contacted her, conducted a phone interview, and asked for Rs 3,999 for training,” said Devesh Kumar Mahla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi). Over the next few days, she was persuaded to pay an additional Rs 7,500 for document verification and Rs 7,250 for a work kit. A final demand of Rs 11,000 for salary account processing raised her suspicions, prompting her to report the fraud.

Following the complaint, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and initiated an investigation. CCTV footage from an ATM in Noida showed a masked man withdrawing cash using the victim’s funds. Technical surveillance, including call detail records and IP logs from Shine.com, led investigators to a suspect operating out of a building in Sector 3, Noida.

On May 14, Delhi Police, assisted by local authorities, raided the premises and arrested Fahiq Siddiqui—identified as the mastermind—along with six men and six women found working at the illegal call centre.

Another key accused, Mohit Kumar, was later apprehended near Laxmi Nagar Metro Station. He allegedly supplied the gang with bank accounts and SIM cards used in the fraud.

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During the raid, police seized eight laptops, 47 mobile phones, 57 SIM cards, 15 debit cards, two Wi-Fi dongles, and Rs 1.31 lakh in cash.

The accused are believed to have used premium recruiter accounts on job portals to access candidate profiles and initiate contact. Police suspect the scam has a pan-India footprint. Data from the seized devices is being analysed, and details are being shared with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for further investigation.

Further inquiries are ongoing, officials said.

(With inputs from PTI)