Immigration firm offering fake overseas job offers raided in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: In a joint operation, officials from the Protectorate of Emigrants, Chandigarh, and police on Saturday raided the premises of an unregistered immigration firm and seized incriminating documents including fake overseas job offer letters.

According to an official statement, The Setup Overseas, located in Sector 34-A here, was found to be offering overseas jobs without a valid licence. "A joint team from the Protectorate of Emigrants (PoE), Chandigarh, and the Chandigarh Police raided the premises of an unregistered immigration agent, M/S The Setup Overseas, located in Sector 34-A, Chandigarh."

The firm was found to be offering overseas jobs without a valid licence. The raid led to the registration of a police case and the seizure of numerous incriminating documents and gadgets, including two laptops, 17 mobile phones, fake overseas job offer letters, and other evidence," the statement said.

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Fake job offers through social media

It said the unregistered firm had been using social media platforms to lure unsuspecting youths with false promises of high-paying overseas jobs in hotels and construction companies in countries such as Georgia, Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Dubai. Further investigations, including financial trails, are currently underway to identify and arrest the owners and others involved, the statement said.

The PoE, responsible for emigration oversight in northern states and Union territories including Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and parts of Haryana, has been actively coordinating with state and UT police forces through designated nodal officers. This collaboration includes sharing information on unregistered agents and sensitizing law enforcement personnel to identify emigration-related violations and curb this menace.

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Illegal overseas employment

Over the past year, the PoE has shared a total of 52 complaints and inputs related to illegal overseas employment with the nodal officer of Chandigarh Police, the statement said. These efforts have led to the registration of 13 FIRs against illegal agents by the Chandigarh Police.

Additionally, 32 notices have been issued under the Emigration Act, 1983, to unregistered agents based in Chandigarh for advertising overseas jobs, employment visas, and work permits without proper authorization, it added.

To further enhance the capacity of enforcement agencies, the PoE, Chandigarh, recently conducted an information session for Chandigarh Police officers in collaboration with the Police Training Centre, Sector 26. The session covered key areas such as emigration regulations, the utility of the eMigrate portal, and detection of cybercrimes related to illegal overseas recruitment.

Youth awareness

The PoE, Chandigarh, has urged citizens, particularly the youth, not to fall prey to misleading social media advertisements by illegal and unregistered agents offering high-paying overseas job offers. Such agents frequently target destinations including Azerbaijan, Jordan, Luxembourg, Georgia, Cambodia, and Thailand, the statement said.

Aspiring overseas job seekers are strongly advised to verify the credentials of recruiting agents through the official eMigrate portal of the Ministry of External Affairs --emigrate.gov.in. Citizens can also use the portal to report unregistered agents who offer overseas employment, work permits, or visas.

The eMigrate portal provides fraud alerts and advisories issued by Indian Missions abroad to help citizens make informed decisions, the statement said.