Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested a man from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly defrauding job seekers by promising employment opportunities in India and Dubai. The accused, identified as Dharmender Kumar alias Rohan (30), was operating a call center in Delhi and had been involved in five similar cases across the country. Police seized three mobile phones and three laptops from his possession.
The arrest was made after a 49-year-old victim from Amberpet lodged a complaint stating that he had been searching for a job since July 2024. He came across a website named ‘Go2 Career’ and registered for employment opportunities. Soon after, he received a call informing him that he had been offered a job at OPTUM company, Hyderabad branch. The fraudster demanded money for internal file processing, and believing it to be a legitimate offer, the victim transferred a total of ₹15,88,347 to different bank accounts provided by the accused. When the scammer continued to demand more money, the victim realized he had been cheated and approached the police.
According to officials, such job scams have been on the rise, with fraudsters contacting job seekers through fake postings on popular job portals, social media platforms, and even company websites. They use professional language, conduct fake interviews, and create fraudulent employee profiles on LinkedIn to appear credible. Victims are often asked to share personal details such as bank account numbers, credit card information, Aadhaar cards, passports, and Social Security numbers, which are then misused.
Previous Similar Cases
Several cases of job fraud have been reported in Hyderabad in recent months. In November 2023, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police arrested a gang that had cheated over 100 people by posing as representatives of reputed IT companies. Similarly, in 2022, a scam targeting job seekers in Dubai was exposed, where victims were lured with high-paying job offers and asked to transfer money for visa processing.
Authorities have urged job seekers to be cautious of unsolicited job offers and to verify the authenticity of recruiters before making any financial transactions. Cyber Crime police have advised the public to stay alert and report fraudulent activities by dialing 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in for immediate assistance.
