In a major fraud case, a couple in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly cheating hundreds of job seekers by offering fake government positions in the court system. The scam is estimated to have defrauded victims of nearly Rs25 crore.
The accused, Jason D’Souza and Lavina, were taken into custody by the Central Crime Branch (CCB). Investigators say the duo orchestrated a well-planned scheme targeting unemployed individuals and even those already working in the private sector.
Police revealed that the couple allegedly collected amounts ranging from Rs10 lakh to Rs25 lakh per victim, promising D-group jobs in courts. To gain trust, they reportedly forged judges’ signatures and issued fake appointment letters, making the offers appear legitimate.
Victims were initially assured of quick placements, but when they later followed up, the accused allegedly stalled them with repeated excuses before eventually cutting off all communication.
After realizing they had been cheated, several victims filed complaints with the CCB, leading to multiple cases being registered across police stations in Bengaluru. During the probe, authorities discovered that the couple had previously been arrested in 2024 for a similar fraud case but had resumed their activities after being released.
Further investigation uncovered that the accused had built a network of agents who helped expand the scam. These agents reportedly identified potential targets, convinced them to pay large sums, kept a commission, and passed the remaining money to the main accused.
In some cases, victims were invited to private hotels under the pretense of document verification. There, they were shown counterfeit offer letters to reinforce the illusion of a genuine recruitment process.
The Central Crime Branch is continuing its investigation to uncover the full scale of the fraud, identify more victims, and track down others who may have been involved in the operation.
