Bengaluru Manager Duped of Rs 26 Lakh in Fake Government Job Recruitment Scam

A major recruitment fraud has surfaced in Bengaluru after a private company senior manager was allegedly cheated of Rs 26 lakh by a group that promised to secure a government job. The accused reportedly claimed they could arrange an appointment as a Panchayat Development Officer in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department by using their supposed influence with officials.

The victim, 36 year old G K Raghunandan, who works as a senior manager at a private gold company in Whitefield, approached the Vidhana Soudha Police Station after realizing he had been deceived. Based on his complaint, police have registered a case against four individuals, including Santosh Hosamani, along with Rao, Mahesh Kumar and Basavaraj.

According to the complaint, Raghunandan met Santosh Hosamani in December 2024. During their interactions, Hosamani allegedly introduced himself as an employee of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms and claimed to have strong contacts within the Karnataka Public Service Commission. He reportedly assured the victim that he could arrange a PDO post for a payment of Rs 50 lakh.

Believing the promises, the victim is said to have paid Rs 26 lakh in cash in multiple installments as an advance. However, despite repeated assurances, no appointment order was issued, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the offer.

Investigators say the fraud became more convincing when the victim allegedly received calls from a person identifying himself as Rao. The calls reportedly appeared to come from numbers resembling the KPSC office landline, with the caller repeatedly assuring him that his selection had been finalized and that the appointment process was underway.

As weeks passed without any official communication or appointment letter, the victim tried contacting Santosh Hosamani for clarification. When the accused allegedly stopped responding to calls and messages, Raghunandan realized he had fallen victim to an elaborate scam and decided to approach the police.

The Vidhana Soudha Police have launched an investigation into the case and are examining the role of all four accused. Officials are also looking into the alleged use of fake official identities and deceptive phone calls to gain the victim’s confidence. The case has once again highlighted the growing risk of recruitment frauds that exploit job seekers by falsely promising government positions in exchange for large sums of money.