In a significant crackdown on cyber-enabled fraud, the Delhi Police has apprehended two individuals for orchestrating a sophisticated fake recruitment scam by impersonating the prestigious Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The accused allegedly created a counterfeit ASI website to advertise non-existent government vacancies, exploiting the desperation of job seekers across the country.
The Masterminds and Their Modus Operandi
The police identified the accused as Kuldeep (30), a B.Com graduate currently pursuing LL.B., and his associate Piyush (25), a B.Tech graduate in Computer Science. Piyush is believed to be the technical brain who developed the fraudulent website. Their scheme targeted aspirants looking for secure government employment by advertising seven posts of curator and 84 posts of junior assistant under the ASI banner.
The fake portal was a meticulously crafted replica of an official government website. It used the ASI's official logo, colour scheme, layout, and formatting, making it nearly indistinguishable from the genuine site. Links to this portal and the fabricated vacancy notifications were aggressively circulated through college groups, online forums, and messaging platforms like WhatsApp to ensure maximum reach.
An Elaborate Staging to Gain Trust
To add layers of credibility, the accused went to extraordinary lengths. Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar revealed that they allegedly paid students and intermediaries to promote the fake vacancies within their networks. This strategy resulted in hundreds of online applications from hopeful candidates.
From these applicants, around 150 candidates were shortlisted for a written examination. Shockingly, the selection for this test was based on the candidates' family backgrounds and financial standing, a tactic designed to later extract maximum illegal gratification.
The scam's sophistication peaked when the accused booked a reputed examination centre in Jaipur, commonly used by government agencies. The written test was conducted with professional rigor, mirroring the pattern, structure, and protocols of genuine government exams, complete with proper seating arrangements and question paper formats. This elaborate staging successfully eliminated any lingering suspicion among the candidates.
The Foiled Final Act and Police Intervention
According to the police, the criminal plan involved declaring nearly 50% of the written exam candidates as "successful" and calling them for interviews. It was at this interview stage that the accused intended to demand hefty bribes in exchange for "guaranteed clearance" and fraudulent appointment letters for the purported ASI posts.
Fortunately, the timely intervention of the Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit foiled the entire operation before the interview stage could commence, preventing further financial and emotional victimisation of the aspirants. The police action saved hundreds from potentially losing large sums of money.
This case highlights the evolving nature of cyber fraud, where tech-savvy individuals use their skills to create authentic-looking digital facades to exploit trust in government institutions. It serves as a stark warning for job seekers to rigorously verify the authenticity of recruitment advertisements, especially those circulated on social media and messaging apps, by cross-checking with the official websites of the concerned ministries or departments.
