CID files case after applicants lured by social-media ads and high salary promises
Ahmedabad: The CID Crime, Ahmedabad Zone, has registered a case against four persons for allegedly cheating multiple applicants of a total ₹81.95 lakh by promising to arrange New Zealand work visas and jobs, officials said on Thursday.
According to the FIR registered following a complaint from a resident of Kalol in Gandhinagar district, the accused used social-media advertisements, purportedly attractive salary offers, fabricated employment documents and assurances of overseas work permits to induce applicants to make large payments.
"promising New Zealand work visas and jobs"
The complaint was lodged by 44-year-old Vipulbhai Navinchandra Prajapati of Kalol. He told CID investigators that he had responded to a Facebook advertisement in October 2023 that offered a three-year New Zealand work permit and a monthly salary of around ₹2.5 lakh. He subsequently contacted one of the accused by phone and met him at an office in the World Trade Tower on the Sarkhej–Gandhinagar Highway, the FIR says.
Vipul alleged the group represented that they could arrange work, student and visitor visas for countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada and several European states, and assured him the New Zealand work permit would be processed within three to four months. Convinced by the promise of a high-paying overseas job, he proceeded with the application and paid fees.
Investigating officers say the complainant later introduced his brother-in-law to the same individual, who made similar representations and obtained payments from him as well.
Fees, MOUs and alleged duplicity
The FIR states that applicants were asked to hand over passports and educational certificates and pay registration charges. Separate memoranda of understanding were signed, with the total fee for each applicant fixed at approximately ₹11.10 lakh, the complaint alleges. Victims were reportedly told they would need to undergo assessments by the prospective overseas employers before formal job offers were issued.
- Total alleged loss: ₹81.95 lakh
- Promised monthly salary in advertisement: ~₹2.5 lakh
- Per-applicant fee mentioned in MOUs: ~₹11.10 lakh
- Advertisement first seen: October 2023
Accused and locations
CID sources identified the accused as follows:
| Name | Declared location |
|---|---|
| Vaibhav Dineshkumar Prajapati | Ahmedabad |
| Akhil Subhashbhai Chatur | Ahmedabad |
| Oish Ali Akbar Ali Hasanwala | Banaskantha |
| Ahmed Aflak | New Delhi |
The case was registered after the Kalol resident filed the complaint; CID Crime, Ahmedabad Zone, is handling the investigation. The FIR details allege the use of fake employment documents and social-media outreach that targeted prospective overseas workers with high-salary promises.
Local implications and caution for job seekers
Fraudulent overseas recruitment operations have an outsized impact on aspirant migrants in Gujarat, where demand for skilled and semi-skilled placements abroad remains high. The CID registration brings the matter into a specialised investigative stream aimed at financial fraud and human-trafficking-adjacent offences, enabling targeted evidence-gathering such as bank records, phone communications and office documentation.
Authorities often advise prospective overseas job-seekers to verify recruiters' credentials, seek direct confirmation from overseas employers and consult official visa channels before remitting large sums. The FIR in this case underscores how social-media advertisements and promises of rapid processing timelines can be used to extract substantial payments.
CID investigators will examine the payments trail, the memorandum-of-understanding documents and digital records connected to the advertisement and communications. Further action, including arrests, charge-sheets or additional FIRs, will depend on the outcome of those enquiries, the FIR notes.
Residents with information about similar advertisements or suspicious recruitment offers have been encouraged to approach local police stations or CID units to assist the ongoing probe.
