Authorities in Kochi have uncovered a disturbing shift in visa fraud operations, with unscrupulous agents now preying on aspirations for blue-collar jobs abroad after earlier focusing on the healthcare sector. This evolving scam has already led to the arrest of over 25 agents this year, with complainants collectively losing more than Rs 5 crore, according to police reports.
From Warehouses to Supermarkets: The New Fraudulent Lure
The modus operandi has changed. Instead of promising nursing or medical jobs, fraudsters are now enticing youths with offers for positions like supermarket employees, warehouse workers, helpers, and packing staff in countries ranging from Sweden and South Korea to Dubai and Italy. Investigations reveal specific cases where young individuals from the city were recruited for warehouse work in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, each paying around Rs 50,000 as a processing fee.
In a separate incident, a resident of Fort Kochi was swindled of Rs 52,000 for a promised driving job in the UK. Meanwhile, in Muvattupuzha, a group of youngsters was duped by two different agents offering supermarket worker roles in Dubai and Italy. One of the most significant individual losses involved a Perumbavoor native who was cheated out of Rs 15 lakh after being offered a job as a packing helper in Singapore.
The fraud is not limited to overseas jobs. The district also witnessed two youngsters being defrauded of nearly Rs 20 lakh after being offered fake positions at the Kerala High Court and the Devaswom Board.
Exploiting Social Change and Digital Reach
Former first secretary (visa) at the Indian High Commission in London, Ajithkumar Varma, links this trend to a social shift in Kerala. "Parents who once pushed children to become doctors or engineers are now pressing for jobs abroad," Varma observed. He noted that while many success stories of migration to Europe exist, the charm is fading due to known struggles, particularly from mass migration to the UK. This, he suggests, is triggering interest in less-explored destinations like Sweden or Eastern Europe, where verification is harder.
"If jobs are offered in countries like the UK or Germany, there are enough Keralites there whom the aspirants can contact and verify the job. This will not be the case in less explored countries like Hungary," Varma explained, highlighting how fraudsters exploit this information gap.
A senior officer with the Ernakulam Rural Police stated that many candidates fall victim through enticing social media advertisements. "The scamsters use persuasive language to extract large sums in the name of registration, processing fees, visa charges, and more. Often, people pay for these overseas jobs without meeting the agents in person or verifying their information," the officer said.
Complex Networks and Police Advisories
The officer revealed an increasingly complex web, where some Keralites living abroad use local accomplices to carry out frauds. The local person advertises via social media using their own phone number, but the bank account belongs to the person abroad. Once the money is paid, the overseas fraudster disappears, leaving the local contact helpless.
Police are also receiving complaints about people being taken abroad and not receiving the promised jobs. Varma warned that a larger network is often behind these scams, and even arrested agents may not know the full scale. He suggested that agents might start with legitimate recruitment to countries like Canada before being approached by larger networks offering a cut for using high-quality forged documents.
Varma advocated for an accreditation system for consultancies, similar to other sectors, to force them to seek official approval. Meanwhile, police strongly advise job aspirants to pursue overseas opportunities only through legally registered and verified agencies, emphasizing the need for in-person verification and thorough background checks before transferring any money.
