Man held for duping women, advocates with fake govt job offers in Delhi: Police

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly running a job fraud racket that targeted educated women and advocates by promising them high-profile positions in government bodies such as the Women's Commission, police said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Sagar Singh alias Manu, a resident of Ghaziabad, was involved in multiple cases of cheating and had previously posed as a well-connected individual capable of securing jobs in government bodies, including the Women's Commission, they said.

"Singh maintained details of various jobs in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and other departments in the Delhi Government, and found the profile of these department heads through Google," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said in an official statement.

He then approached victims by claiming to be closely associated with these officials, or at times impersonated senior officers himself, assuring the victims that he could secure a job for them.

He is a B.Com graduate and a habitual offender with a criminal history spanning multiple states. He has two previous cases registered against him and at least three more complaints tagged on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), police said.

Gautam added that the latest case came to light on August 18 after a complaint was filed by a woman identified as Shikha Tiwari, a resident of Vishwas Nagar.

"The complainant told police that she had received a message in June from someone posing as an advocate who claimed that the accused could arrange a prestigious post for her. Subsequently, the complainant received emails purportedly from the Education Department, offering her a seat in the Women's Commission under a Member of Parliament quota," the DCP added.

The emails appeared genuine and included a registration ID, giving the victim confidence. She was asked to pay Rs 5,260 as a processing fee, followed by additional demands of Rs 12,500 and Rs 5,350 for further processing, he said.

The victim transferred a total of Rs 23,110 to a private bank account.

However, when she tried to contact the person again, her calls went unanswered, prompting her to lodge a complaint on the NCRP portal.

A case was registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Cyber Police Station, Shahdara. During the probe, investigators traced the bank account and the number to the accused.

"Technical analysis of IP logs and digital footprints confirmed his involvement. It was also revealed that the accused had cheated another lady advocate of Rs 3.34 lakh on the promise of making her chairperson of the Women's Commission," the officer said.

Singh allegedly hacked the social media account of the advocate and used it to lure the complainant. His modus operandi included impersonating senior government officials, misusing official designations, and creating fake registration IDs to make the scam appear authentic.

Police said Singh has a history of similar crimes. He was earlier booked in two cases involving charges under sections related to cheating and even sexual offences.

Further investigation is underway to identify other victims and trace possible accomplices. PTI SSJ SMV HIG