Brahmapur: Police have busted an organised job fraud syndicate in Ganjam district and arrested four people, including three women, for allegedly cheating unemployed youths by promising them jobs in various sectors, an officer said on Friday.
Chhatrapur police seized fake appointment letters, a counterfeit identity card, documents belonging to victims, including matriculation certificates and Aadhaar cards, besides Rs 25,000 in cash and three mobile phones from the accused, said Sabyasachi Malla, inspector-in-charge of Chhatrapur police station.
According to police, preliminary investigation has indicated that the accused had allegedly targeted job seekers in Chhatrapur, Khallikote, Sorada and Golabandh areas of Ganjam district.
“Seven victims have so far been identified and the amount involved in the cheating is around Rs 3 lakh,” Malla said.
The accused allegedly posed as government employees to gain the confidence of job seekers and collected money from them by offering appointments to different posts. Police said some people in the Khallikote area were also allegedly cheated by the group.
The investigation was initiated after a complainant approached police alleging that he had transferred Rs 60,000 online to the accused after they promised to secure a Grade IV government job for his wife at a block office.
The accused subsequently provided an appointment letter and an identity card to the complainant, both of which were later found to be fake, police said.
A case has been registered in connection with the alleged fraud and further investigation is underway to identify other victims and ascertain the extent of the racket, Malla said.
