Gurugram Police arrests duo for running job scam pan-India
What's the story
The Gurugram Police have arrested a man and a woman for cheating several people, on the pretext of providing them jobs in a pharmaceutical company. The accused, Divya Shrivastava (24) of Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, and Prasoon Tiwari (31) of Siwan, Bihar were arrested from DLF Phase-III U-block. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime), Priyanshu Dewan confirmed the duo had cheated at least six victims in different states, collecting a substantial amount.
Scam details
Suspects targeted job seekers in dire need
Dewan revealed the suspects specifically targeted people who were desperately looking for jobs. They had been active in Gurugram for only three days before their arrest, and had already cheated two victims from Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh of over ₹1 lakh. The Station House Officer of Cyber Crime (East), Inspector Naveen Kumar, said the duo's location was tracked using Union Ministry of Home Affairs' surveillance system.
Past activities
Prior location and criminal history
Before moving to Gurugram, Shrivastava and Tiwari were stationed in Ambala, Punjab. Tiwari had a previous brush with the law as he was arrested by the Punjab Police for a similar crime a few months ago. The duo's modus operandi was to target people who had posted their job requirements online. They would then persuade these unsuspecting job seekers to deposit money into their bank accounts, which they would withdraw after successfully executing the scam.
Seized items
Police seize cash, debit card, and mobile phone
During the arrest, police seized ₹1.02 lakh in cash, a debit card, a mobile phone, and a SIM card used in the fraudulent activities. An FIR has been registered against Shrivastava and Tiwari under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Cyber Crime Police Station (East). The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to uncover more details about this job scam.