The Gujarat Police on Tuesday arrested a man identified as Aman Kumar from Jharkhand's Dhanbad for allegedly cheating over 35 individuals by impersonating an Income Tax Officer and offering them fake government jobs. The arrest came after a complaint was filed by an Ahmedabad-based woman who lost Rs 9.20 lakh to the scam.
According to officials, Kumar first came in contact with the complainant while she was preparing for government job exams. Posing as a senior Income Tax official, he promised her a confirmed position in the department. To make his claim convincing, he used a fake government email ID resembling those of the Income Tax Department and sent her detailed communication about her supposed "training and appointment."
The woman was instructed to attend "official training sessions" at the Accountant General's Office in Bengaluru and Kolkata. Following the sessions, Kumar demanded Rs 12 lakh as a security deposit for final job confirmation. Trusting the process, the victim transferred Rs 9.20 lakh to his account. She was even handed a forged appointment letter bearing the name of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Karnataka and Goa Region) and a Deputy Commissioner's signature.
Her doubts arose when the documents and email communications failed verification. Upon realizing she had been duped, she approached the Gujarat Police, who launched a detailed investigation. It was soon discovered that Kumar is a 12th-pass fraudster with a long trail of similar scams across India, with previous complaints filed against him at the CBI Mumbai office in 2023.
Revealing the modus operandi, Senior Police Officer Hardik Mankadiya stated,
"Kumar used to create email IDs similar to official government domains and reach out to aspirants preparing for competitive exams. He would invite them to various cities, conduct fake interviews and trainings and then extract lakhs of rupees under the guise of placement fees."
The police believe Kumar ran the operation with a few associates who helped him set up fake offices, print forged documents, and collect money from victims. He has now been brought to Ahmedabad for interrogation and remains in police custody for further investigation.
Authorities have urged citizens to verify the authenticity of government job offers through official portals and not fall prey to fraudulent schemes promising quick appointments in exchange for money.
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