Jaipur: City’s Shipra Path police busted an interstate cyber fraud racket Monday that duped job seekers with fake Merchant Navy appointments. Two men were arrested, and a cache of incriminating digital evidence was seized, including fake joining letters, chequebooks, and communication records.SHO (Shipra Path) Rajendra Godara said the accused, Vikram Singh (29) and Pradeep Chaudhary (30), were operating from a hotel room for the past 20 days. Their suspicious behaviour and extended stay prompted a discreet surveillance operation. Acting on a tip-off from constable Rajveer Kani, the police team raided the hotel room late on June 28.A search of the room led to seizure of eight mobile phones, a laptop, seven chequebooks, and a QR code scanner of Yes Bank. The digital devices contained over 50 fake joining letters and forged documents related to the Merchant Navy.“Both men were using social media platforms like Facebook to post fake advertisements about vacancies in the Merchant Navy. Interested candidates were lured with promises of lucrative job roles,” said Godara. Victims were contacted via the phone numbers posted in the ads, and once convinced, were asked to pay between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh for processing fake documents.Police said once the money was received, the accused would send counterfeit agreements and joining letters. When the victims attempted to verify or join the job, they found themselves blocked. The gang would discard their phones and shift location to avoid detection.Cybercrime records from the 1930 portal confirmed that 15 complaints were registered against the account numbers linked to the accused in different states. “This gang has defrauded job seekers across India. Their digital footprint and financial trail are being thoroughly investigated,” said Godara.
