Ahmedabad: A 45-year-old salesman from Gota lost Rs 17.3 lakh to fraudsters who allegedly promised him a job and work permit by posing as representatives of Canadian companies, cybercrime police said on Thursday.The complainant had come across a Facebook advertisement in May offering warehouse, farming and housekeeping jobs in Canada. After clicking on it, he was directed to a WhatsApp number, where a woman claiming to be a company’s agent, along with others calling themselves HR managers, allegedly collected his passport, photographs, Aadhaar card and other documents. They subsequently sent him what appeared to be a Canadian job offer letter, an LMIA, work permit, visa sticker and appointment letter through WhatsApp and email. Between May 15 and Aug 20, the complainant made 39 payments totalling Rs 17.31 lakh for various ‘processes’. He was also sent a one-time-view image of a purported air ticket, and they demanded more money. They threatened to cancel the ‘permit’ when denied the payment. After the man contacted the cybercrime helpline, he got a call from an unidentified number saying the money would be refunded if he withdrew the complaint.
