Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 15: In a major breakthrough against cybercrime, the Adugodi police have busted an interstate online job fraud racket and arrested 12 individuals for duping a 43-year-old woman of Rs 5 lac under the pretext of a work-from-home opportunity. The prime accused, Harshvardhan, was operating the elaborate scam for the past two years from a fake call centre based in Uttar Pradesh.

Police sources revealed that the accused would send random messages offering part-time online jobs. After completing tasks, victims were instructed to register on fake platforms for payment withdrawal. Initially, small sums were credited to gain trust, following which the scammers demanded larger deposits, promising inflated returns. Authorities estimate that the gang may have swindled over Rs 1 crore from unsuspecting job seekers across states.

The complainant, Soumya Banu from L R Nagar, Adugodi, was lured with a commission-based online task. Once she deposited Rs 5 lac in multiple phases via UPI, the fraudsters demanded an additional Rs 3 lac, prompting her to lodge a police complaint. The 12 arrested include individuals from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar. The police recovered 400 SIM cards, 140 ATM cards, 22 bank passbooks, and 27 mobile phones from the accused.

In a separate case, the Central Crime Branch’s Special Enquiry Squad arrested a man for cheating eight aspirants of Rs 14.23 lac by promising jobs in reputed multinational companies. The accused, Pathnul Khalandar Khan (43), a resident of JP Nagar 5th Phase, is reported to have conducted fake job interviews and collected payments ranging from Rs 2 lac to Rs 2.7 lac per victim. Based on a complaint from a victim named Geetha, the CCB began its probe and arrested Khan. His accomplices, Veeresh and Inayath, are currently absconding.

Police have intensified their investigation and issued a public advisory urging citizens to remain cautious and report suspicious job offers immediately.