Doctor looking for job cheated of Rs 11 lakh

BENGALURU: A city-based 46-year-old plastic surgeon has approached the Kumbalgodu police station on the outskirts of the city after she was cheated by a conman assuring her a job at a reputed hospital in Dubai. The victim had uploaded her resume for the post of a consultant plastic surgeon at the hospital. The conman, identifying himself as an executive of a Kolkatabased job consultant firm, called the victim saying they would help her get the job if she registers with them.

Believing in the claims of the unidentified caller, she registered with the firm paying Rs 5,000. Dr Suma (name changed), a resident of Brigade Panorama Apartment in Kengeri, filed a complaint against the fraudster identified as Karan Singh of West Bengal.

The victim is said to have kept making online payments through UPI transactions to the account numbers provided by the accused towards various fees. The victim was made to pay for the verification of her credentials, exam fees and license fees. She was also asked to pay for obtaining a no-objection certificate which is mandatory to work at the Dubai hospital.

The entire transactions happened between July and August of 2021. The victim never met the executive in person, but spoke to him only over the phone. “The victim got suspicious after the website of the said consultant firm stopped functioning for the last three months. Her repeated phone calls also went unanswered. The victim stated in her complaint that she lost Rs 11.66 lakh,” said an officer, who is part of the investigation. When contacted, the doctor confirmed that she filed a complaint and said the matter is under investigation. A case of cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against the suspect, Karan Singh.