The Enforcement Directorate's Patna zone branch launched extensive searches on January 8, 2026, targeting an elaborate organized syndicate accused of defrauding thousands of job aspirants by promising and issuing counterfeit government appointments across multiple central and state departments.
Investigations revealed that the scam, which initially came to light through fraudulent Indian Railways postings, extended far beyond, encompassing over 40 prestigious government entities including the Forest Department, Railway Recruitment Board, Indian Post, Income Tax Department, High Courts, Public Works Department, Bihar government services, Delhi Development Authority, and even the Rajasthan Secretariat.
The modus operandi involved creating sophisticated fake email IDs mimicking official government domains to dispatch forged appointment and joining letters, lending credibility to the deception; in several cases, victims were temporarily placed on payrolls for two to three months and portrayed as legitimately employed in roles such as Railway Protection Force personnel, Traveling Ticket Examiners, and technicians to further erode suspicion.
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Simultaneous raids are underway at 15 premises spread across multiple states, including one location in Muzaffarpur and two in Motihari in Bihar, two in Kolkata in West Bengal, four sites across Kerala covering Ernakulam, Pandalam, Adoor, and Kodur, one in Chennai in Tamil Nadu, one in Rajkot in Gujarat, and four in Uttar Pradesh comprising two in Gorakhpur, one in Prayagraj, and one in Lucknow.
Authorities believe the network systematically exploited the desperation of job seekers, collecting substantial sums in exchange for bogus assurances of secure government employment, highlighting vulnerabilities in verification processes and the growing menace of organized cyber-enabled recruitment frauds targeting vulnerable youth nationwide.
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