Cybercriminals successfully misled a group of 60 students across diverse engineering fields in Ahmedabad’s private university. These students were enticed into a snare through enticing offers of trainee engineer roles within a renowned power generation company. Unbeknownst to them, this turned out to be a meticulously crafted deception.
As per the city police, a group of students enrolled in diverse engineering disciplines such as electronics & communications, chemicals, computers, mechanical, information & communication technology, and civil were ensnared in a complex scam. Crafty cyber criminals strategically aimed at these students, resulting in a collective loss of Rs.75000.
According to students, the fraudulent operation seemingly began when the criminals dispatched a job offer message to a professor at LJ University. Unaware of the scam, the professor then distributed the message to numerous students, inadvertently initiating the sequence of events that led to this extensive swindle.
The incident is being reported by LJ University located in Sarkhej. On June 21, 2023, during the time frame of 5pm to 6pm, the university received a WhatsApp message from a recruitment website. This message requested a fee of Rs.1250 from every candidate. Certain students completed the form and proceeded to make the payment through a QR code. However, it was later revealed that the entire setup was a deceptive scheme.
A high-ranking official from the cybercrime unit mentioned that incidents of job scams, including fraudulent work-from-home opportunities, witnessed a significant increase during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, these cyber criminals have managed to deceive an entire cohort of students. Our ongoing investigation aims to reveal the financial transactions involved and ensure that those responsible for this act are held accountable under the law.
After receiving the WhatsApp message from my professor, I visited the website, which seemed to have a connection with a well-known consortium. Enticed by the offer of an attractive monthly salary of Rs.65000 for trainee engineers, I promptly paid Rs.1250 for the entrance exam and medical test fees, without any second thoughts.
– Kevin Desai, an electronics & communication student
