Mumbai: The Vanrai police have arrested Michael Vega (62) of Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, in connection with a foreign job fraud that allegedly cheated aspirants of lakhs of rupees. Authorities are still searching for other suspects involved in the racket.
The case surfaced after Pawan Rajendra Dhamankar (28), a customer service specialist from Andheri West, filed a complaint. Dhamankar stated that in April 2024, he discovered an Instagram page called Tortoise Communication Pvt Ltd while looking for overseas jobs.
After submitting his details online, he was contacted on WhatsApp by a woman identifying herself as Shraddha Sarang, who invited him to an office in Kandivli West. There, he met Vega, who allegedly demanded Rs4.5 lakh in instalments for arranging overseas employment.
Dhamankar was later taken to a Goregaon East office and introduced to Madhukar Jha, another key accused. Between July and November 2024, Dhamankar transferred Rs1.5 lakh via UPI for job processing, visa appointments, and employment documentation for Portugal and other European countries. An MOU was also executed to gain his trust.
Despite repeated delays and cancelled visa appointments, Vega continued assurances. In December 2024, Dhamankar was told that Jha had died, after which Vega claimed Jha’s account was frozen due to fraud. By March 2025, Vega had ceased communication, his phone was switched off, and the Goregaon office was shut, revealing the scam.
Police investigations uncovered that several other job seekers were similarly duped through social media, fake offices, and false promises. Besides Vega, accused include Shraddha Sarang, Parvin Sheikh, Vijay Utekar, and other unidentified associates.
Vanrai police had registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy last year and were tracking the financial trail. Vega was arrested on Wednesday, and authorities said more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
