By Anish Chand
Six Indian nationals who were stuck in Fiji without money after falling prey to a job related fraud have filed official complaints in India.
They were offered lucrative jobs in Fiji and eventually cheated.
The Hindu newspaper reports six of them have managed to return.
One of the women lodged a complaint with the Central Crime Branch in Tamil Nadu.
According to the complaint, in October 2017, a male colleague of hers at a Mamallapuram-based resort introduced her and seven others to a woman, who promised them lucrative jobs at a new restaurant that she said she was opening in Fiji with her partner.
The women were asked to pay 3 lakh (FJD$9110) for the job and the men were required to pay 4 lakh (FJD$12800)
They were told to pay 1 lakh (FJD$3200) in advance for tickets and other documentation.
They were also told that it would be a two-year contract and they would earn FJD$1500 per month plus perks.
“Trusting her [the accused], the candidates pledged their jewels to arrange for the money. Later, we realised it was a fraud,” said the complainant.
The Hindu reports a total of 30 youngsters from Tamil Nadu reportedly paid the money.
But the accused said that she would initially take only eight persons, and the remaining later.
In February, when the group finally met the woman at the airport, they realised that they were being taken on a tourist visa and that only on reaching Fiji would they get work permits.
“She posed as a tourist guide before Indian immigration officials and introduced us as tourists. She told the same lie to immigration officials in Fiji,” she added.
However, after a few days, the Fiji immigration officials nabbed the group when they came to know that they had come for work.
“The woman was deported and our passports were seized. She promised to help us out once she reached India. But she kept evading us by changing numbers,” she explained.
The job aspirants were given groceries by a man who introduced himself as the accused’s business partner.
“From February till June, six candidates managed to return to India as their well-wishers paid for their tickets. But two girls, Abhinaya and Nancy, are still stuck there,” she added.
