Bogus SMC Appointment Letter With Collector’s Stamp Exposed in Surat

An attempt to pass off a bogus appointment letter in the name of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) was exposed after a woman arrived at Tapi Bhavan with the document on Saturday, prompting a recruitment officer to verify its authenticity.

The appointment letter carried what appeared to be a Collector’s stamp and was drafted in official-sounding language, initially giving it the appearance of a genuine government document. However, the recruitment officer became suspicious and initiated a verification process, which revealed that the letter had not been issued by the Surat Municipal Corporation.

Bogus Letter Raises Suspicion

According to the preliminary information, the woman, who is from Rajasthan, reached Tapi Bhavan with the purported appointment letter on Saturday afternoon.

The document had been prepared in a manner apparently intended to make it appear authentic. Besides the Collector’s stamp, its language and format resembled those commonly used in government correspondence.

The recruitment officer, however, raised doubts about the document and checked its details with the concerned authorities. The verification subsequently exposed the letter as fake.

Letter Traced To Maharashtra

During the preliminary inquiry, officials found that the bogus appointment letter had originated in Maharashtra and was sent by post to an address in Rajasthan.

Officials also found that the woman who brought the document to Tapi Bhavan had not herself applied for a job with the Surat Municipal Corporation.

There is also no information so far indicating that she had paid any money in connection with the purported appointment. The circumstances under which she received the letter and brought it to Surat are being examined.

SMC Issues Fraud Warning

The incident has raised concerns over attempts to misuse the name of government bodies to create fake employment documents.

The civic body has urged people to exercise caution if anyone approaches them with offers of government employment in exchange for cash or online payments.

Officials have also advised people to verify suspicious appointment letters and other government documents directly with the concerned recruitment department instead of relying on their appearance or official-looking stamps.