Mumbai police have apprehended two individuals involved in a sophisticated online job scam, officials disclosed. The accused used to lure job seekers with an offering of lucrative online jobs, only to deceit them subsequently.
Officials revealed that over three months, financial transactions worth approximately $8 million were detected across the bank accounts used by the scammers. Police managed to freeze around $150,000 during their investigation.
The investigation kicked off when a 19-year-old dormitory resident at the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute lodged a complaint of being duped under the pretext of employment.
The student elaborated that the scammers initially contacted him via WhatsApp, offering a well-paying part-time job. He stated that what followed was an invitation to a Telegram group.
The fraudsters then coaxed the student to deposit money into various accounts, promising high returns. Before realizing the scam, the student lost approximately $3,000.
The Matunga police tracked down the perpetrators via the bank accounts where the deposits were made, resulting in the apprehension of Rupeesh Thakkar (33) and Pankaj Bhai Oad (34) from Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
From the possession of the accused, police recovered 33 debit/credit cards, 32 checkbooks from various banks, six mobile phones, and 28 SIM cards. Officials stated that further investigation is ongoing.