A Gujarat couple allegedly cheated 29 people of more than Rs 1 crore by promising overseas jobs, work permits and accommodation, police said. The accused allegedly used social media advertisements to target people looking for employment in Europe and Dubai.
The accused, identified as 41-year-old Ankitaben Hardik Shah and her 47-year-old husband, Hardik Hasmukhbhai Shah, operated Krishna Overseas Consultancy in Anand.
According to police, the consultancy advertised overseas jobs offering work permits, e-visas, good salaries, accommodation and food in countries including Serbia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Armenia and Dubai.
Fake Visas, Fake Job Offers
The couple allegedly collected large sums from job seekers for visa processing and overseas employment. To convince applicants that the offers were genuine, they allegedly provided e-visas and documents carrying details of supposed foreign employers.
However, when the applicants tried to travel, they discovered that the companies mentioned in the documents did not exist. The promised jobs never materialised, and the victims allegedly did not get their money back.
One of the complainants, Kundanben Patel from Petlad, approached the police after allegedly losing money in the scheme.
Fraud Amount Crosses Rs 1 Crore
The investigation initially indicated that around Rs 78.80 lakh had been collected from victims.
As police recorded statements from more people, the suspected fraud amount increased to Rs 1,06,26,960. So far, 29 people are suspected to have been cheated.
This means the reported loss averages roughly Rs 3.66 lakh per victim, although the actual amount paid by individual victims varied.
Police are now examining the accused’s bank accounts to trace the flow of money and determine how the funds were used.
Two Arrested, One On The Run
Following Kundanben’s complaint, registered on September 10, police formed a special investigation team and conducted raids at the consultancy office and other locations linked to the accused.
Ankitaben Shah was arrested on September 11, followed by her husband on September 12.
Police said a third accused, identified as Nandkumar Damubhai Ukani of Anand, is absconding. Teams have been deployed to locate him.
Investigators are also checking whether more people were involved and whether additional victims have yet to come forward.
Police Warn Job Seekers
Anand police have urged people looking for overseas employment not to rely solely on social media advertisements or attractive job offers.
Police advised applicants to verify the credentials of overseas employment agents, independently check the companies offering jobs and use authorised channels for visa processing before making any payment.
