Fraud rampant in visa and job scams, targeting youth seeking overseas opportunities

IDUKKI: Job and visa scams are rampant in Kattappana, with scammers primarily targeting people from other districts. These fraudsters lure victims by claiming to have offices in the city but all transactions are conducted directly or through accounts in other districts, where the money is then collected.

The scammers promise opportunities to study abroad at top universities or secure great jobs, extracting money from victims multiple times under this pretence. Despite assurances of immediate overseas placement, no action has been taken for years. When victims try to pursue the case later, they find no traceable contact numbers or addresses. As a result, many victims end up at the Kattappana Police Station and the DySP office, reporting significant financial losses.

Recently, people from Wayanad and other areas arrived in Kattappana in search of a scammer, only to recount their stories of losing lakhs of rupees. Many fall prey to these scams without conducting proper research on the agencies making overseas offers, often paying large sums of money. In the past two years alone, around 30 such cases have been reported within the Kattappana police station's jurisdiction.

Scammers often claim Kattappana as their native place, with their agency's operations supposedly based in Chennai and Bangalore. However, investigations reveal no such entities or personal information linked to the frauds. Victims from various districts come to Kattappana to investigate, only to find that the scammer's address either doesn't exist or the fraudster is no longer there.

The police urge people to exercise caution and ensure they have a proper understanding of any agency offering overseas opportunities.