Hyderabad: Fake manpower consultancies are mushrooming in the city and are duping unemployed youths with promises of getting them unskilled and skilled jobs abroad.
Without any approval from immigration agencies the scamsters collect money for recruitment and cheat the ignorant. In a recent case, 80 people were cheated by one consultancy based in Golconda.
Most fake consultancies prey on youngsters from low and middle income families who want to go to West Asian countries.
“The scammers conduct interviews and collect passports and money to create the impression that they are processing applications. But even after months the candidates will not get a visa. When they make enquiries the scammers keep postponing the matter citing various reasons,” said a police official from the commissioner’s task force.
The cop said that after opening an office in Hyderabad, the scammers target victims from rural areas using their sub-agents in various districts. The sub-agents usually corner people from rural areas.
Senior police officials say that as per the Emigration Act 1983, the Central government’s Ministry of Labour is the only competent authority for the registration/renewal/cancellation of recruiting agents.
“As per Section 10 of the Act, no person can function as a recruiting agent without a valid certificate from the Union ministry of labour. Only a certified recruiting agent can carry on the business of recruiting Indian workers for Foreign employers. The certified agent should conduct his business only in the place indicated in the application. He or she is not allowed to appoint any sub-agent to expand his business,” said the official from the commissioner’s task force.
He said that most fake agents enter the business after working for a brief period with a certified agent.
