Bengaluru couple swindles ₹25 crore in fake government job scam
What's the story
A couple in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly defrauding hundreds of job seekers with fake promises of government jobs in the court system. The accused, Jason D'Souza and Lavina, are believed to have run a large-scale operation that targeted unemployed individuals and private sector workers. They are accused of swindling around ₹25 crore by collecting between ₹10 lakh and ₹25 lakh from each victim.
Modus operandi
Accused forged judges' signatures
To lend credibility to their scheme, D'Souza and Lavina allegedly forged judges' signatures and issued fake appointment orders. When victims sought updates on their job status, the couple reportedly delayed responses with excuses and eventually stopped answering calls altogether. This led several victims to approach the Central Crime Branch (CCB) with complaints.
Past offenses
Couple previously arrested for similar job fraud
Further investigation revealed that the couple was arrested in 2024 for a similar job fraud case. After their release, they allegedly resumed their illegal activities. The police also found that D'Souza and Lavina had created a network of agents to expand their operation. These agents would identify potential victims, convince them to pay the required amounts, keep a commission and give the rest to the couple.
Deceptive meetings
Victims lured to private hotels under pretext of document verification
In some cases, victims were called to private hotels under the pretext of document verification. They were shown fake offer letters at these meetings to further convince them that the recruitment was genuine. The CCB is now interrogating the accused to ascertain the full scale of the scam, identify more victims and expose all those involved in this network.