It all started with a simple job listing. “Government-backed opportunities available! Apply now for secure positions in the National Rural Development & Recreation Mission (NRDRM).”
The advertisement looked official enough, complete with a polished website, government emblems, and an impressive list of vacancies.
Rohan, a 27-year-old engineering graduate from Bhopal, found this Ad while scrolling through job portals late one night. His parents had been pressuring him to find stable work, and this seemed like a golden opportunity.
Rohan immediately clicked on it and proceeded with the registration process. He uploaded his document and paid ₹25,000 as fees.
But months passed by, and he kept waiting for the response.
The Scam Unfolds
Rohan wasn’t alone. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of job seekers fell for the trap.
They filled out forms, uploaded documents, and waited eagerly for further instructions. Some even received fake interview emails, adding to the illusion of legitimacy.
But then, the website vanished. Emails bounced back. Phone calls went unanswered.
Panic set in.
Rohan, now realizing something was wrong, turned to Twitter and searched for NRDRM.
“Bro, I think we got scammed,” he texted his friend Sameer, forwarding a tweet from the official Ministry of Rural Development: “Public Notice: We have NOT authorized any recruitment under NRDRM. Beware of fraudsters.”
His stomach dropped. He wasn’t just jobless anymore, he was also out of ₹25,000. And worse, the scammers now had all his details.
The Bigger Picture
As the Delhi Police began their investigation, the massive extent of the scam soon became clear.
The fraudsters had created an entire ecosystem, fake websites, fake job offers, even fake verification emails. All this is designed to trap desperate job seekers.
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
A few years ago, another scam, under the guise of Swasthya Avum Jan Kalyan Sansthan (SAJKS), had swindled over ₹1 crore from unsuspecting applicants.
The blueprint was always the same:
- Create a fake entity with an official-sounding name.
- Set up a professional-looking website.
- Advertise aggressively on job portals and social media.
- Charge a small but reasonable registration fee.
- Disappear.
And every time, thousands fell for it.
Learning the Hard Way
Rohan felt like a fool. How could he have been so careless? But the truth is, scams like these prey on hope.
They target those who are most vulnerable—job seekers desperate for an opportunity, a breakthrough, a chance to prove themselves.
The lesson? Never trust a job posting at face value. Always verify through official government portals.
If a job requires an upfront payment, be skeptical. And if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Rohan’s story is just one among many. But the next time a scam like this pops up, maybe, just maybe, someone will remember his mistake, and avoid making the same one.
