A 44-year-old man, who ran a fraudulent consultancy firm promising jobs on merchant ships, was arrested by Tambaram city police on Sunday for scamming job aspirants of over Rs 25 lakh.
The accused, identified as Hariharan from Kundrathur, operated a job agency near the Tambaram Tahsildar office since 2023. He used social media advertisements and flyers to attract job seekers, claiming he could secure various onboard merchant ship positions for them.
However, despite receiving payments from the applicants, Hariharan failed to deliver on his promises and began avoiding those who had paid him. One of the victims, Manikandan (36), filed a complaint with the police in December 2024.
Following this complaint, six other individuals came forward, reporting similar incidents of fraud. As a result, the police registered a case and launched an investigation to locate Hariharan.
After two months of searching, the police arrested Hariharan. He was brought before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. Authorities are also searching for his associate, Nirmala, who is believed to be involved in the scam.
