Hyderabad overseas job scam: Most hopefuls never get visas; refunds delayed

Hyderabad: A majority of the victims of overseas job scams are never given visas and their refunds are delayed inordinately. Some may be sent to West Asian countries, but not for the job they had been promised. Men who have applied for skilled jobs are sent to labour camps or to do unskilled work. They realise they have been cheated only after they land in the foreign country. With no way of returning, they are compelled to take the job they are given.

Abid Khan, a B.Com graduate, was promised the job of an accountant with a private firm in Riyadh. “They (the consultancy) took Rs 60,000 from me and promised me a good job with good pay. When I landed in Riyadh, they took me to a labour supply company, where I had to stay for 20 days without proper accommodation and food. After spending 20 days in that hell, I managed to go to the company where I was employed. I realised that my visa was a labourer visa and not a professional visa. I was made to clean floors and toilets for many months. I stayed only to get back the money I had spent to get the visa,” Khan said.

Police said Khan’s story is common. “The agent promises a high salary and a comfortable job. But when the candidate reaches there, he realises that he has stepped into the worst job ever. Many starve and many struggle to even get proper accommodation,” said a senior police official from the task force.