A case has been registered against the owners of Advertclicking and three officials.
Rawalpindi:
The Cyber Crime Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested four suspected fraudsters in an internet recruitment scam worth over Rs 200 million.
A group of fraudsters allegedly collected over Rs 200 million from people who were offered five different online job packages on a website called ‘Advertclicking’.
FIA Cyber Crime Circle Deputy Director Shahzad Haider said online ad click operations are an illegal business and legal action will be taken against those found involved.
FIA Inspector Gohar Ali Shah announced that Amir Shahzad, the owner of AdClick, was arrested along with three other officials of Bakra Mandi in Kamalabad. A lawsuit was filed against him.
Shah further said that preliminary investigation revealed that the main suspect, Amir, had collected over Rs 200 million from over 6,000 members of the website over a period of one-and-a-half years.
He added that hundreds of citizens have filed compensation claims worth millions of rupees with the FIA against fake companies.
Investigation officials said Amir has been in FIA custody for four days and further investigation into the case is underway.
Earlier, another fraudster identified as Atif, owner of Digitalclicking, was arrested in a similar incident from Ckakri Road area, he said.
Gohar said the FIA initially received complaints about ad clicks. This complaint led to an investigation and subsequent arrest.
Asif, a victim of the scam, said that advertisements offering jobs ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 45,000 per month are posted on the internet by various agencies, and many people have become victims. That’s what it means. He called on the government to enact strict laws to prevent such fraud.
Such scams are a type of advance payment scam, where certain unscrupulous individuals pose as entrepreneurs and offer part-time, full-time, or online job opportunities, usually under the guise of registration fees, to job seekers. Requires advance payment.
Published in The Express Tribune on September 21stcent,2014.
