Bengaluru MTech Student Alleges Recruitment Scam: Police Book IT Firm for Cheating Job Seekers

A final-year MTech student has filed a police complaint accusing a private recruitment firm of cheating him and several other job seekers by collecting money under the false promise of securing jobs in leading companies.

Prabhudev G., 26, a student at University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), stated in his complaint that he was contacted on July 3 by a woman claiming to represent Infosquare Global Solutions Private Limited. The caller informed him about vacancies for Mechanical Design Engineers in reputed companies and invited him for an interview at the company’s office in Marathahalli on July 4. She also sent a Google Form and a PDF document via WhatsApp, which he was asked to complete before the interview.

At the office, a man identifying himself as Pawan Gopal, director of Infosquare Global Solutions, allegedly collected Prabhudev’s resume and told him he would have to pay either ₹1,000 or ₹2,000 to sit for a written examination and be considered for placement. He was assured the fee would be refunded if he failed the exam. Believing this, Prabhudev paid ₹2,000 via QR code and took the test along with 15–20 other candidates.

Later, the company emailed him stating he had failed the exam and asked him to appear for another test on July 11. However, when he visited the office on that date, Pawan Gopal allegedly told him no exam would be held and that the company could not provide a job. When Prabhudev requested a refund of the ₹2,000, the accused refused and threatened him with consequences if he persisted.

The complaint also names several other candidates—Ramya, Sanketh Deshgupta, Shilpa, Vandita, Veda, Sakshith J., Sanjana C., K. Abhishek, Mohammed Faizan, V. Gangamma, and V. Shravan Kumar—who said they too were induced to pay money for jobs that never materialized and were denied refunds.

Based on the complaint, the HAL police registered an FIR against the firm on Saturday and began an investigation. Authorities suspect the scam has been running for nearly three years, targeting vulnerable job seekers in Bengaluru’s competitive job market.

Such recruitment scams are increasingly common in India, where fake companies pose as legitimate recruiters, charging fees for exams, training, or background checks. Experts advise job seekers to verify companies through official channels, never pay upfront fees, and report suspicious offers to the police or cybercrime cells.

The case highlights the need for stricter regulation of recruitment agencies and greater public awareness to prevent exploitation.