Hyderabad overseas job scam: Most victims from other districts of Telangana

Hyderabad: A majority of the victims of the fake manpower consultancies are from places like Karimnagar, Adilabad, Warangal, Mahbubnagar and Nizamabad. Villagers are easier to dupe and intimidate as they are reluctant to complain to the police.

“In the cases we have come across around 60 per cent of the victims are from districts other than Hyderabad. They are uneducated and seek jobs mainly in West Asian countries,” said DCP B. Limba Reddy.

Agents target mainly villagers because the people are ignorant about the tricks of these consultancies, are easily intimidated and do not have the resources to initiate legal action, said a police officer. This is borne out by the fact that a majority of the complainants are from Hyderabad and not from other districts, though most of the victims are from other districts.

There are many websites and consumer complaint forums online. The credentials of recruitment firms can be checked using them. But scammers know that uneducated people will never check such websites.

“The fake agents advertise by distributing pamphlets in mosques and other places. They offer jobs of drivers, construction workers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc,” the police officer added. There are also local agents who create word of mouth publicity for consultancies.

The desperation of the poor is what allows unscrupulous recruiting agencies to exploit them.