Ahmedabad man duped of ₹2.1 lakh in Instagram job scam

The Sabarmati police have registered a case of online fraud after a 32-year-old marketing professional was allegedly duped of ₹2.1 lakh by two individuals posing as a job consultant and an immigration lawyer, who promised him a work visa and employment in Singapore.

The complainant, Ashutosh Sharma, a resident of Sabarmati, filed an FIR on July 31, stating that he had come in contact with an Instagram user named Hardik Sharma via a job advertisement posted online. Sharma initially offered him a job through a company called Dot Engineering, but when Ashutosh expressed scepticism, he was sent another offer letter from Rotary Engineering Pvt Ltd, which appeared legitimate.

Ashutosh was then directed to contact a man identified as Nishant Verma, claiming to be an immigration lawyer, who allegedly guided him through the visa process. Between March 21 and May 20, the duo reportedly convinced Ashutosh to transfer money in several instalments for various charges, including 'insurance', 'security bond', an IPA letter, and other processing fees.

As per the police, the complainant transferred a total of ₹2.10 lakh across multiple transactions to different bank accounts, via QR codes sent to him through WhatsApp. Initially reassured by the ongoing communication, Ashutosh became suspicious when he was later asked to pay an additional ₹90,000 despite not receiving a confirmed visa or official correspondence from the Singapore Ministry of Manpower.

When he was repeatedly misled and kept in the dark about the actual process, he contacted the immigration website directly when he realised no such application had been made in the name of Ashutosh. Despite multiple follow-ups, neither Sharma nor Verma returned the money or provided legitimate documentation.

After realising he had been scammed, Ashutosh approached the cybercrime helpline on July 25 and filed an initial complaint via helpline number 1930. A formal FIR was later registered at Sabarmati police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

Police sources confirmed that the Instagram handle associated with Hardik Sharma and the mobile numbers linked to both accused Hardik Sharma and Nishant Verma have been flagged for further investigation. Both individuals are currently absconding.

“Initial digital evidence suggests a well-coordinated scam targeting job aspirants through social media. The bank transactions and WhatsApp communications have been preserved, and technical analysis is underway to trace the location and identities of the accused,” said an officer with Sabarmati police.