Jammu's Crime Branch has registered fresh FIRs in recent weeks over overseas job offers that turned out to be fraud — one involving a promised Dubai visa, another a Russia work permit that cost a Jammu resident a reported ₹10.05 lakh. Neither is an isolated case: J&K has also seen recent chargesheets over a Cambodia "computer operator" job that turned into forced online-scam labour, and a Srinagar consultancy accused of faking interviews, medical exams and visas for Bahrain. The pattern is the same every time — a job or visa offer, an upfront payment, and no real employer at the other end.
None of this means overseas jobs themselves are a trap. It means there's a real, quick way to check whether a specific offer is genuine before any money changes hands — and it takes minutes.
Is the agent even allowed to place you abroad?
Under the Emigration Act, 1983, only a recruiting agent registered with the Ministry of External Affairs can legally arrange overseas jobs. Every registered agent has a licence number that must be displayed at their office and in any advertisement, print or social media. You can check whether an agent is genuinely registered at emigrate.gov.in, under "List of active RA" — if the name and licence number don't show up there, stop.
What can they legally charge you?
The law caps a registered agent's service charge at ₹30,000 plus 18% GST, and they must issue a receipt for every rupee collected. Any demand running into lakhs — a recurring number in the recent J&K cases — is already outside what the law allows, registered agent or not.
What are the warning signs?
Contact only through WhatsApp, Facebook or SMS, with no verifiable office address.
A job offer that arrives on a tourist visa rather than a proper work visa.
No formal employment contract signed by the employer, the agent and you.
Vague details about the actual employer, work location or living conditions.
Pressure to pay quickly, in cash, or into a personal (not company) bank account.
What if you've already paid, or something feels wrong?
Contact the Ministry of External Affairs' Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra helpline (1800-11-3090, WhatsApp +91-74283 21144) or the Office of the Protector General of Emigrants (pge@mea.gov.in), and separately file a complaint with the local police or Crime Branch. Keep every screenshot, receipt and chat log — it's exactly what investigators used to build the recent J&K cases.
For a generation of Jammu graduates increasingly looking at Gulf and international postings as a real career track, the checklist above is the difference between a legitimate opportunity and becoming the next FIR.
Sources: Daily Excelsior, KashmirPEN, Embassy of India (MEA advisory).
