Swindling job seekers with 'overseas posts that never existed'
Tejgaon police yesterday arrested four members of a fraud gang who swindled “hundreds of crores of taka” from around 1,000 job seekers in the last three-four years, promising them lucrative jobs in Qatar.
Biplob Kumar Sarker, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), at a press briefing in his office said the 15-member gang took Tk three-four lakh from each job seeker.
He said the gang, in connivance with some employees of a popular job portal, uploaded fake circulars for posts like “retail store manager” or “commercial manager” in Qatar-based companies.
They issued circulars for jobs in Delta Group, Ali Bin Group, AHA Group or sometimes as “a reputed multinational company” and offered handsome salaries and accommodation facilities.
As eager job seekers contacted them, they would ask for necessary documents. In phases, they would ask for different amounts of money -- showing the job seekers fake offer letter, appointment letter, confirmation letter, employment contract, police clearance certificate and even Qatar visa.
The frauds opened mobile banking accounts using SIM cards registered with biometric data belonging to others. Once money was sent, they would promise to provide flight schedule later and stop communicating with the job seeker, Biplob said.
The Tejgaon DC said they started investigation after a victim lodged a complaint with Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station recently, and arrested four including the gang leader Shahin Haider. Other arrestees are: Hasan, Shyamol and Tajul.
They were produced before a Dhaka court yesterday with a seven-day remand prayer for each, but the court granted one-day remand.
Police also revealed that Shahin Haider has purchased a restaurant in London and an apartment in Dhanmondi, Dhaka with the money.
The Tejgaon DC said after the gang was done with a target, they asked their accomplices at the job portal to remove the job circulars.
The gang collected SIM cards registered against different individuals from retail sellers of various mobile operators at higher costs and used a particular number to contact each victim.
Biplob asked to make it mandatory to ensure that SIM's biometric data match with that of NID, when an individual opens a mobile banking account.
“If it can be ensured such fraudulence will totally stop,” he added.
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