Aligarh Job Fraud Syndicate Busted: 7 Arrested in ₹15 Crore Cybercrime and GST Scam

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Aligarh police apprehended seven individuals for allegedly acquiring personal identification documents from job applicants to establish 97 bank accounts and 21 fictitious GST entities, which were utilized to launder 15 crore rupees from cybercrime activities.

Mechanics of the Fraud and Identity Exploitation

The criminal group targeted job seekers by offering employment opportunities, then coercing them to provide Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, photographs, and rental agreements under the guise of background verification. These documents were not used for legitimate hiring processes but instead facilitated the creation of 97 current and savings accounts across multiple banks. The accounts were opened without the consent or active involvement of the genuine cardholders. Once activated, the perpetrators seized physical access to debit cards, cheque books, and online banking credentials.

Financial Trail, Material Seizures, and Expert Warnings

Investigations revealed that approximately 15 crore rupees flowed through the 97 accounts within two months. Of these, 67 accounts were directly connected to ongoing cybercrime complaints, with investigators identifying 1.75 crore rupees in flagged transactions. During the raid, law enforcement recovered a laptop, desktop computer, 14 mobile devices, 15 ATM cards, seven cheque books, two vehicles, 20 forged Aadhaar documents, six fake PAN cards, 21 counterfeit GST registration certificates, and eight falsified rental agreements.

Laptop
Desktop computer
14 mobile devices
15 ATM cards
Seven cheque books
Two vehicles
20 forged Aadhaar documents
Six fake PAN cards
21 counterfeit GST registration certificates
Eight falsified rental agreements

Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh highlighted the risks of sharing sensitive government-issued documents with unverified recruiters. He noted that such information is frequently exploited to create mule accounts and fraudulent corporate entities, which act as financial conduits for larger cybercrime operations.

Authorities urged the public to verify recruitment agencies, regularly monitor credit reports and bank statements, and avoid surrendering banking tools or one-time passwords to third parties.