India Fights Job Scam Epidemic Abroad

Every year, millions of Indians migrate abroad for employment. While most secure jobs in reputed companies, some fall victim to scams in the name of foreign employment. In recent years, numerous cases of fraud under the pretext of providing overseas jobs have emerged. In some instances, individuals have been taken to other countries and abandoned, forced to perform tasks far different from what was initially promised.

Job scams are trapping many Indians, luring them with the promise of lucrative jobs abroad but coercing them into illegal activities and exploitation. To tackle this issue, the Indian government has taken significant steps to curb such frauds. It has shut down several websites involved in duping people under the guise of offering overseas employment. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared these measures in the Lok Sabha.

Jaishankar stated that the Ministry of External Affairs has requested the blocking of websites promoting such fraudulent activities. Additionally, legal action has been recommended against those involved in these scams. During the Question Hour, he remarked, “We have urged authorities to block websites that promote these fake jobs. We have also recommended prosecuting the individuals behind these fraudulent activities.” Many of these websites operate from domains hosted overseas, making tracking a challenging task.

Beyond prevention, the government has also rescued individuals who fell victim to such fraud. For instance, 1,167 Indians were rescued from Cambodia, and 497 from Myanmar. These individuals had been lured with false job promises and taken to these countries, where they were forced to work in harsh conditions, often engaged in illegal activities.

The External Affairs Minister emphasized that these scams often target vulnerable individuals through online platforms, using sophisticated networks. The government is collaborating with agencies to dismantle these networks and prevent further exploitation.