Fraud job syndicates target Reliance, Tata groups

Both groups warn of initiating strict actions, issue public notices

Two of the country’s biggest business conglomerates - Cyrus Mistry-led Tata group and Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries - have become the target of fake job syndicates, which are making fraudulent employment offers to gullible jobseekers in lieu of money.  

After coming across several instances of such job offers being made in their name, both groups have warned of initiating strict civil and criminal actions against these fraudsters and issued separate public notices in this regard.

According to senior executives of leading human resource consultancy firms, they have also been approached by certain people claiming to be representatives of these groups and asking them to arrange for potential candidates for numerous vacancies.

However, they directly approached the internal HR departments of the respective groups after discovering that cash deposits were being demanded from job applicants, said the head of a leading HR consultancy.

Subsequently, it was found out that these job offers were being made by some fake syndicates looking to make a quick buck by promising lucrative postings at leading business groups, he said, adding that the HR consultants had now become more vigilant.

These fraud syndicates, which earlier mostly focused on information technology companies, now aiming at jobseekers wanting to make it to big companies.

Tata group, which has more than 450,000 employees across its about 100 companies, said in its public notice that it had already

lodged complaint with the Delhi Police and Mumbai Police.

Reliance Industries, which has a workforce of 23,519 employees and 29,462 temporary workers according to its annual report, said it would take possible civil and criminal actions “against such persons who indulge in such illegal activities and are responsible for causing such disrepute to RIL and its group companies”.

The notice, issued by RIL’s HR head, said Reliance Industries and its group companies had come to know about some unauthorised persons making false and frivolous job offers at RIL and its group firms by demanding cash deposits in specified bank accounts.

The group said such offers were “purportedly made to bring disrepute to RIL and its group companies” and asked job seekers not to be misled by those.

At the same time, the company also made a disclaimer that “RIL and its group companies shall not be responsible or liable for any loss that may be caused to any member of the public on account of their indulging into any sort of actions with such unscrupulous persons”.

Tatas said in their notice that Tata Sons and other Tata companies had deployed a merit-based employee selection practice. “We do not charge/accept any amount or security deposit from job seekers during the selection process or while inviting candidates for interviews,” the notice said.

“We have noticed that fake job offers in the name of companies like Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services and Tata AutoComp Systems and certain other Tata companies, as well as fictitious entities like Tata Groups Limited, Tata India Limited have been circulated by some unauthorised persons/fraudsters.