M A I N   N E W S

Tribune Exclusive
Job scam using Maruti’s name unearthed; govt orders probe
500 complaints surface in two years; SBI cyber unit asks branch to look into savings account; car maker distances itself
Aditi Tandon/TNS

A copy of the letter on Maruti Suzuki’s letterhead sent to recipients via email offering jobs in the company.

New Delhi, November 25
The Ministry of Finance has marked an inquiry into what may turn out to be a massive recruitment scam, wherein Maruti Suzuki’s name was used to dupe people across India.

Thriving for over two years under “Maruti Suzuki Direct Recruitment Offer”, the alleged fraud involves issuance of job interview letters through emails by Shinzo Nakanishi, who writes himself as the CEO and Managing Director of Maruti Suzuki India Limited.

The recipients are asked to deposit Rs 15,200 as security for the job interview. The deposit is sought to be made in State Bank of India/ICICI branch saving bank accounts whose numbers are sent through emails or text messages to recipients.

An SBI receipt showing deposit of Rs 50 by complainant Manoj Kamra in an account held by alleged fraudsters.

round 500 complaints of this kind (dating back to December 2010) have come to light with recipients posting details on a consumer complaint portal - www.complaints-india.com. In every email, language of the offer is similar, so is the sender’s name.

The alleged fraud came to light this week after Bikaner-based Manoj Kamra, a freelance civil engineer, received one such email purportedly from Nakanishi. Karma forwarded the mail for action to the Finance Ministry and the local police.

The email sought Rs 15,200 deposit in SBI account No. 20153924053, which the bank, following directions from the Department of Financial Services, traced to its Senapathi branch in Guwahati.

The email said the deposit was refundable except Rs 200, deductible as bank charges. It added: “Deposit is being sought to make sure you turn up for the interview and we are not at a loss after sending you an air ticket to come for the interview.” The SBI account had not been sealed until November 21 when Kamra deposited Rs 50 in it to check if it was functional.

“I informed the police, the ministry and the SBI well in time because the email said the last date for deposit was November 21 and the interview was on November 24. I deposited Rs 50 in the account on November 21, which shows the account is alive,” Kamra told the TNS today.

Nodal Officer (Cyber Crimes) and Deputy General Manager, Customer Services, SBI, have directed the bank’s Guwahati head office to detect and prevent the fraud.

On November 19, following Kamra’s complaint to the Finance Ministry, the deputy general manager (customer services), SBI, wrote to his Guwahati office: “Attend to this grievance immediately. It relates to a complaint on the alleged fraud by an account holder at the Senapathi branch sending false recruitment messages and collecting funds. We have already forwarded a cautionary note to your circle that numbers of such complaints are on the rise. Conduct know-your-customer audit and forward us a confirmation that care is being taken to prevent such frauds.”

The Guwahati branch is yet to provide the status of the account that features in most complaints against the alleged fraud.

Maruti Suzuki has dissociated itself from the alleged recruitment drive. Responding to Kamra’s emails to Maruti CEO S Maitra, the company said on November 21: “We have received your communication regarding a fake mail. Maruti doesn’t take payments towards recruitment in its organisation. This is a fraudulent mail being operated by a group of criminals. The matter is under investigation by the Gurgaon and Delhi Police. We have issued public notices and cautioned people with an update on our website too.” Maruti is yet to send to Kamra the copies of public notices it says it has issued in newspapers.

The alleged fake email that Kamra received said his resume was one among 62 shortlisted for jobs of senior engineer, marketing and general services departments of the company.

It read: “Suzuki, the best manufacturing car company in India, is recruiting candidates for its new plants in Delhi, Bangalore, Gujarat, Pune and Mumbai. Your interview will be held on November 24 at 11.30 am. Your offer letter with air ticket will be sent by courier before the interview. You have to deposit cash of Rs 15,200 in favour of company accountant through any SBI or ICICI bank branch…. Whether selected or not, the amount will be refunded and Rs 200 deducted as bank charges. The amount is to prove you will come for interview… for us not to run at lost after sending you the air ticket.”

Kamra also received an SMS containing the SBI account number in Guwahati.