ED searches 15 locations in six states over fake government job letter scam

The ED (Enforcement Directorate) on Thursday conducted searches at 15 locations across six states in connection with a money laundering probe into a racket that allegedly issued fraudulent joining letters for government jobs, officials said.

According to the agency, an organised gang is under investigation for impersonating government departments and cheating job aspirants through fake appointment communications. The searches are being carried out by the ED’s Patna zonal office in Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Officials said the scam was initially detected in cases linked to the Railways, but a deeper probe revealed that the network had expanded its operations to more than 40 government organisations and departments.

These include the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Railway Protection Force (RPF), India Post, Income Tax Department, Public Works Departments (PWDs), the Bihar government, the Delhi Development Authority, the Rajasthan Secretariat, and even some high courts, among others.

According to the ED, the gang created fake email accounts that closely resembled official government domains and used them to send out fraudulent appointment and joining letters to unsuspecting candidates.

To build credibility and avoid early suspicion, the accused allegedly paid two to three months’ salary to some victims who were “appointed” to posts such as Railway TTEs, technicians and RPF personnel, before disappearing with larger sums of money.

Search operations were carried out at multiple locations, including:

• Bihar: Muzaffarpur and Motihari

• West Bengal: Kolkata

• Kerala: Ernakulam, Pandalam, Adoor and Kodur

• Tamil Nadu: Chennai

• Gujarat: Rajkot

• Uttar Pradesh: Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Lucknow

Officials said the probe is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to trace the proceeds of crime and identify the full extent of the network involved in the fraud.

The ED is examining financial trails, digital evidence and communication records to establish how the gang operated across states and the total number of victims affected. Further action will be taken based on the outcome of the searches and ongoing investigation, officials said.