Fake Job Call Centre Busted in Noida, 14 Arrested in Major Cybercrime Crackdown

A fake job call centre running out of Noida has been busted by Delhi Police for cheating job seekers across India using fake recruitment offers. The gang used Shine.com’s recruiter access to contact victims and scam them out of money under the pretext of job offers.

The mastermind, Fahiq Siddiqui, along with 13 others—including six women—has been arrested by the New Delhi District Cyber Police.

How the Scam Worked

The gang pretended to be HR professionals from reputed companies. They targeted people who had uploaded their resumes on job portals like Shine.com and Naukri.com. Victims were contacted with fake job offers and then asked to pay money for things like training, job kits, and security deposits.

The scam came to light after a woman reported that she had been cheated of over Rs 30,000. She had uploaded her resume on Shine.com and Naukri.com while looking for a medical job. Soon after, she received a call from someone claiming to be a recruiter. At first, they asked for a small refundable fee of Rs 500. Later, they demanded more money for training and documentation. When she refused to pay Rs 11,000 for “salary account opening,” she realised it was a scam.

How the Police Cracked the Case

The cyber team tracked a masked suspect withdrawing cash from an ATM in Noida. With the help of CCTV footage, call records, IP tracking, and support from Shine.com, they identified a suspicious recruiter account.

Police traced Fahiq Siddiqui to Laxmi Nagar and found the gang was operating out of an office in Sector 3, Noida. On May 14, a team led by Inspector Harish Chandra raided the office at D-15, Sector 3, and uncovered a fully functional fake call centre.

What Police Found

During the raid, police seized:

• 8 laptops

• 47 mobile phones

• 57 SIM cards

• 15 debit cards

• 2 WiFi dongles

• Rs 1.31 lakh in cash

The gang had purchased recruiter access on Shine.com, giving them legal-looking access to real jobseeker data. They then used calls and emails to trick people. Another accused, Mohit Kumar alias Sumit, provided fresh bank accounts and SIM cards, which he collected from people for Rs 2,000 each.

Bigger Network Suspected

Delhi Police believes the scam could be part of a larger network and more victims may come forward. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is currently analysing SIM cards and numbers to check for links to other cybercrime cases across the country.

Job Seekers Alerted

Police have once again warned job seekers: No genuine employer asks for money in exchange for a job. If you are asked to pay for training, documentation, or salary account setup, it is likely a scam.

The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests could follow.