Australian visa scam reveals few Indians allegedly raped by employers

Sydney: A large visa scam, involving about 40 Indians, who paid huge sums of money to get to Australia has surfaced after a sting operation was carried out by a member of Melbourne's Indian Community.

Jasvinder Sidhu, a lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne, revealed that some of the fake visa holders, including few Indian nationals, had been exploited, and in some cases -- raped by their employers in Australia.

According to a report in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, fake employers and visa agents offer multiple sponsorships in various fields such as mechanics, cookery and IT.

The scam came to light when one such fake agent approached Sidhu on Facebook for contacts of Indians wanting to migrate to Australia. In a series of conversations, the agent also asked Sidhu to check with his family and friends if anyone was keen to study or work in Australia.

Sidhu filmed the agent through a hidden camera, which later served as proof of his allegations. During one of the conversations, the agent had promised Sidhu that he would be paid USD 5,000 for every applicant that he gets from India.

Having migrated to Australia 10 years ago as a student, Sidhu said that he already knew about such fraudulent scams.

"I've been hearing about it for the last eight or nine years, and the last time I heard it was last week, when someone paid $45,000 cash. These people will create your fake time sheets, fake pay sheets, and fake superannuation. Everything is fake," Sidhu was quoted as saying.

Sidhu's revelations are a part of a large investigation that also includes corrupt government officials.