November 20, 2024: A fraudulent website claiming to offer non-existent government jobs in West Bengal, Haryana, and Assam has been exposed, preying on jobseekers with promises of lucrative positions and salaries. The scam, which claimed affiliation with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, used misleading tactics to appear legitimate, including the use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo, the national emblem, and the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav logo to gain the trust of potential victims.
The website, operating under the name Gramin Udyamita Vikash Nigam (GUVN), listed multiple fictitious job openings in government schemes, such as the "Employment and Corporation Center," "Entrepreneur Development Center," "Skill Development Program," and "Empowerment Education System." Despite presenting these opportunities as official government positions, the site was, in fact, a well-crafted scam designed to exploit the unemployed.
The website guvnigam[.]org advertised various positions, including “District Entrepreneurship Development Officer” with a promised monthly salary of Rs 33,500 and 272 openings, along with thousands of other vacancies across the three states. For example, in West Bengal, the site claimed to offer 3,450 positions for a salary of Rs 21,500, with just a 10th-grade qualification required. Similar job listings appeared for other regions, with salaries ranging between Rs 15,500 and Rs 33,500.
In order to apply, jobseekers were instructed to pay a registration fee — Rs 435 for General and OBC applicants and Rs 345 for SC/ST applicants — via a QR code linked to the website. The scam’s instructions also required applicants to submit a screenshot of their payment along with their application, a clear strategy to deceive and siphon money from unsuspecting individuals.
Upon investigation, the domain registration details revealed the website was created just a few months ago, on June 8, 2024, by an individual named “Raj Kumar.” Despite the fraudulent nature of the website, it continued to operate, even after similar domains linked to the same scam, such as guvn[.]co[.]in, had been flagged for suspicious activity. These sites were eventually taken down, but their prolonged existence highlights the vulnerability of online jobseekers and the need for better monitoring and regulation of such websites.
In addition to the website, numerous YouTube videos were found detailing the application process for these fake jobs, further spreading the scam and misleading potential victims into applying for non-existent roles. This suggests a well-coordinated effort to manipulate job seekers over an extended period, with the scam having targeted unemployed youth in these states for more than a year.
While the fraudulent sites have now been suspended, the case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by such scams. Authorities are urging jobseekers to exercise caution when applying for positions online and to verify the authenticity of government job opportunities through official channels before making any payments or providing personal information.
This scam underscores the pressing need for stronger regulation and monitoring of online job portals, particularly those claiming government affiliations, to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable individuals seeking employment.