Delhi: Mastermind, aide running fake job racket with Vietnam links held for Rs 3.12-lakh 'fraud'

New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) Two men, who worked with racketeers in Vietnam running fake job syndicates that targeted Indians seeking employment in Australia and Canada, have been arrested for allegedly duping a Delhi man of Rs 3.12 lakh, police here said on Friday.

Following three days of raids covering 1,000 km in Uttar Pradesh, the mastermind of the racket, Sahdev Singh (37), and his associate Neeraj (37) were apprehended from Etah, they said.

During interrogation, Singh disclosed that he had worked with racketeers in Vietnam who ran fake job syndicates targeting Indians seeking employment in Australia and Canada, a senior police officer said.

Police said the case came to light after a 40-year-old man from Burari, a hospitality and tourism management professional, complained that he was cheated of Rs 3.12 lakh on the promise of a visa to Australia and a job there.

"The complainant told police that he was contacted through a social media group by a person who identified himself as Mayank Pandey and arranged a visa for Vietnam to win his trust," the officer said.

Later, the accused claimed that to secure an Australian visa, the complainant needed to show a cryptocurrency balance of USDT 3,000 in his account. The victim transferred Rs 3.12 lakh to the accused, but neither received the promised job nor a refund, police said.

A case was lodged on September 6 and a dedicated police team launched a technical probe. To conceal his identity, Singh used foreign SIM cards and operated under aliases, such as Mayank Pandey, Rahul Kumar and Ajay Yadav, police said.

Police have frozen several bank accounts linked to the accused, marking Rs 78,920 belonging to the complainant, and seized two mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, passbooks, cheque books and debit cards.

Officials said further investigation is underway to identify more victims and trace the money trail. PTI SSJ RC