Bengaluru: Cashing in on the spreading fear about recent layoffs, especially in the IT sector, scamsters have been raking in moolah by targeting gullible job-seekers by promising them jobs with the big-wig companies.

As many as 25 cases have been reported in Bengaluru itself from March 25 onwards with the scamsters reportedly dwindling the job seekers of an estimated Rs 2 Crores by giving them fake job offer letters from giant IT companies apart from the aviation, automobile, hospitality and other sectors.

These scamsters generally pose as employers or consultants and target job seekers registered with various job portals by offering them a lucrative job.

A Bengaluru youth, one among the many who fell prey to such a placement offer, paid a sum of Rs 24 Lakh for a job at US auto major Tesla.

In a similar case, another victim recounts how he ended up paying around Rs 2 Lakh for getting a job as a marine engineer for vessels based out of Europe. The victim had come across an advertisement on Facebook and after paying the said amount had received his offer letter and a Turkish work visa. However, upon landing in Istanbul he was deported to India as the visa and offer letters were both bogus.

Police investigation revealed that the modus operandi of these guys involves getting resumes of job seekers containing email IDs and mobile numbers where after they approach the victims via phone or email, offering them good positions in their firms.

Meanwhile, most of the big IT companies have made it clear that they never ask candidates to deposit any money, security deposit in lieu of job offers and if such an offer is made to a candidate, they should notify the police.