Chandigarh police bust immigration fraud ring promising work visas

Arresting six people, including two women, the cyber cell of Chandigarh Police has dismantled a large-scale immigration fraud ring that duped numerous victims out of lakhs.
The scam came to light when Ganeshmal, a resident of Rajasthan, filed a complaint against “Global Consultant”, a visa consultancy at SCO Number 292, Sector 32D.
Ganeshmal said he saw an advertisement of the consultancy on Facebook, claiming to provide work visas to Azerbaijan.
Enticed by the offer, he visited the office with his son-in-law and met the consultancy’s staff, comprising two men and three women.
The consultancy promised to process work visas in exchange for ₹1.35 lakh per person, requesting half the amount upfront and the remainder upon receipt of the visa.
Complying, Ganeshmal deposited the full amount. However, when he and his family arrived at the Delhi airport on June 15, their tickets were found to be fake and their calls to the consultancy went unanswered.
As per police, through this modus operandi, the consultancy duped over 40-45 persons, totalling the fraud amount to approximately over ₹65 lakh.
The main accused was identified as Sanjeev Kumar,43, a resident of Sikar, Rajasthan. Investigators said Kumar advised his staff to use fake names and documents to deceive clients. He would never meet the clients directly to remain discreet.
After the fraud was discovered, he closed the office and reopened a new consultancy, “Dream Land Immigration” at Sector 34. Lakhvir Singh, 27, a resident of Rupnagar, worked as a bodyguard for Kumar. He would tackle complainants who would approach the office after realising the fraud.
Vicky, 28, residing in Mohali, served as a bodyguard alongside Lakhvir.
Navpreet, 34, a resident of Manimajra, worked as a receptionist at the fraudulent office. Monika, 24, residing in Kishangarh, and Mehak Kapoor, 26, from Nayagaon were also employed as receptionists.
Police also recovered 15 mobile phones, 15 SIM cards, three stamps and five reception registers from the accused.
According to police, the accused used various deceptive tactics to lure victims, posting attractive advertisements on social media platforms, promising work visas to various foreign countries.
The operation involved creating a facade of legitimacy through social media advertisements and a seemingly professional office set-up. The fraudulent nature of the visas was only revealed when victims arrived at their intended destinations with fake tickets.