Mumbai: Job aspirant looking for opportunities in the US duped by a bogus agent of ₹50,000

A 26-year-old man who was looking for a job opportunity in the US was duped and cheated by an agent based out of Andhra Pradesh to the tune of Rs 50,000.

As per the statement by the victim Papasani Srikanth Reddy, he was looking for a job opportunity in the US and he had mentioned the same to one of his colleagues while he was doing a course in Hotel management at Visakhapatnam-based institute in Andhra Pradesh.

Reddy's colleague named Srinivas Reddy, mentioned about a Good Will Institute, which was near their college and had said that they will help the victim to achieve his dream of going to the US. At Good Will, the victim met a man named Vijay Kumar Rao Pedapatti who offered him a merchant navy job in the US, and told to get a CDC certificate in order to acquire a job in the US.

What is a CDC certificate

A CDC certificate certifies that the person holding this is a seaman as per the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers.

After completing the course and obtaining the CDC certificate, the victim once again met Vijay, who asked him to pay Rs. 50,000 and promised to arrange and finish the documentation work for the victim to go abroad for the said job.

How the victim was duped

On April 16, Vijay asked Reddy to go to US Consulate General office in the Bandra-Kurla Complex for competion of biometric formalities while also handing over all the documents that Vijay had handed over to the victim. On April 17, Reddy got a call from the US Consulate and upon visiting, it was known to him that all the documents that were submitted were fake in nature due to which they rejected his application. The officers at US Consulate realised that Reddy was defrauded and immediately alerted the BKC police for cognizance.

A case has been registered against Vijay under charges of cheating, forgery, making counterfeit seal of the Indian Penal Code. The police are currently looking for Vijay to arrest him.