Rackets making bogus job offers thriving on net

Arjun Raghunath

First Published : 16 Jul 2010 04:34:28 AM IST
Last Updated : 16 Jul 2010 09:26:19 AM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Exploiting the grim job scenario in the aviation sector, rackets involved in trapping candidates by promising them highly-paid jobs in the aviation sector are thriving in cyber space.

It is more alarming that these offers are made even through reputed job portals. The roots of these rackets could also be traced to the infamous Nigerian financial-fraud rackets.

‘Express’ had recently reported that the aviation training centres which have mushroomed in the state over the past few years were wooing candidates by making bogus claims about job opportunities. The job cheating in the sector by offering bogus placements is considered as an extension to it.

The modus operandi of the racket is to offer overseas jobs to candidates through some of the leading job portals. A candidate would be sent an e-mail offering the job in a reputed airline. The logo of the company would also be included in all the communications in order to instil a sense of genuineness. Once the candidate expresses his/her interest to the offer, he would be sent a questionnaire which mainly includes personal details and interests. Subsequently, a confirmation letter would be sent to the candidate offering an attractive remuneration. The candidate would be asked to remit an amount in a bank account for meeting the visa and upward journey charges.

Pintu Rajan, hailing from Kottayam who had done Aircraft Maintenance Engineering course, had recently received a similar job offer from ‘Qatar Airways in Heathrow Airport in UK’ offering a monthly after-tax remuneration of 8,630 pounds - above Rs 6 lakh, besides other attractive allowances.

On verification with the Qatar Airways officials here, it was found that the offer was a bogus one. The offer had come through a leading job portal.

“I was asked to remit Rs 64,000 for arranging UK visa and upward journey ticket. As we became suspicious, one of my relatives in the UK tried to contact over a UK telephone number which was provided along with the job offer. The call was attended by a Nigerian guy. When my relative started asking questions about the bogus offer, the telephone got disconnected and thereafter no one had responded from that number yet, ‘’ says Pintu.

When contacted by `Express’, Qatar Airways station manager in Thiruvananthapuram Jayaprakash Nair said that several such cases were coming up these days not only in the name of Qatar Airways, but in the name of many other airlines.

We had reported this matter to our headquarters. “Those who receive such offers should cross-check it with the airline concerned, ‘’ he said.