Vadodara, Nov 5 : A woman posing as an overseas job consultant allegedly duped a Chhani resident in Vadodara district of Gujarat of Rs 4.25 lakh on the pretext of securing him a visa and job in Canada.

The accused later switched off her phone and went into hiding.

According to the complaint lodged at Chhani Police Station, the victim, Rajesh Kumar Bapuji Patel, a resident of Yoginagar Township near Rama Kaka Dairy, said he was looking for opportunities abroad after failing to find satisfactory employment in Vadodara.

The official said that on March 26, Patel received a call from a woman identifying herself as Preeti Chauhan from Blue Tech Visa Consultancy.

'She offered assistance in obtaining a Canadian work visa, assuring him that the payment could be made later and deducted from his future salary after reaching Canada,' he said.

The official informed that Patel shared his documents, following which he received a call from an international number for a purported 'interview.'

'Later, Chauhan informed him that he had been selected and demanded money under various pretexts, including document verification, embassy fees, bank account setup, biometrics, and flight booking,' he said.

The official pointed out that Patel transferred a total of Rs 4.25 lakh before Chauhan stopped responding and switched off her phone.

He said that Chhani police have registered a case against Preeti Chauhan, Prachi Rajput, Mastan Singh, and Yasin, and have launched an investigation into the fraud.

Visa-related fraud has emerged as a growing concern in Gujarat, with cases rising by over 113 per cent in just three years.

According to police data, between 2020-21 and 2022-23, the state recorded 139 complaints of visa cheating, involving financial losses of nearly Rs 74 lakh, of which only about Rs 41 lakh has been recovered so far.

Cities like Vadodara and Ahmedabad have become hotspots ' Vadodara alone reported 31 cases, while Ahmedabad saw 26 in the same period.

The scams typically revolve around fake promises of Canadian, US, or Australian work visas, forged documentation, and bogus interviews.

Victims are lured with offers of guaranteed jobs or immigration approval, asked to pay hefty fees for 'processing,' 'biometrics,' or 'embassy clearance,' and then the fraudsters vanish.

/IANS