Patna: Police in Bihar have issued an alert after a recruitment scam targeting unemployed young people in Patna came to light, with fraudsters posing as officials of the Patna Metro project to extort money through fake advertisements and interview letters.
According to investigators, the scam revolves around eye-catching advertisements claiming vacancies for posts such as data entry operators, station supervisors, guards, fitters and linemen in the Patna Metro. Applicants are subsequently sent interview letters carrying the name “Patna Metro” prominently, written in formal language and designed to resemble official government communication.
The interview venue mentioned in the letters was a private flat on the Mithapur Bypass in Patna, a detail that first raised suspicions. The documents also carried seal-like designs and claimed that the recruiting organisation was registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Officials have clarified that such registrations merely permit a company to conduct business and do not authorise it to recruit for government or public sector projects.
The fraud was further exposed when a caller, posing as the father of an applicant, contacted the helpline number mentioned in the letter and was asked to put his son on the phone — a practice inconsistent with legitimate government recruitment procedures. When the caller later identified himself as a journalist and asked questions, the call was put on hold and then disconnected.
Police believe the primary objective of the racket was to extract money in the name of mandatory training fees. The fake advertisements listed fees ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 71,000, including Rs 71,000 for the post of trackman, Rs 60,000 for guard office assistant and Rs 56,000 for electrician.
After receiving complaints, Patna police informed senior headquarters, following which the Economic Offences Unit and the vigilance department took cognisance of the case. Police sources said the Patna senior superintendent of police has constituted a special investigation team to assess the scale of the fraud and identify how many people may have been affected.
Patna Metro has issued an unequivocal denial. Archana Kumari, the project’s public relations officer, said Patna Metro had not released any recruitment advertisement, issued interview letters or authorised any private agency to conduct hiring on its behalf.
Officials have urged jobseekers to remain vigilant, verify recruitment notices through official government or project websites, and avoid paying money for jobs or training linked to public sector projects.
