Man gets job offer on WhatsApp, unknowingly linked to ₹250 crore GST fraud


An unemployed man from Muzaffarnagar duped in massive Rs 250 crore GST fraud

In a startling case of job-related fraud, an unemployed man from Muzaffarnagar has become an unwitting participant in a significant GST e-way billing scam amounting to around Rs 250 crore. The fraudulent activity came to light when GST officials visited Ashwani Kumar’s home to inform him of the illegal transactions tied to his name.

Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Barsu Village under Ratanpuri police station, was recently approached via WhatsApp with a job offer. Enthusiastic about the opportunity, he provided the requested documents—his home electricity bill and his father’s Aadhaar card—and paid Rs 1,750 as part of the application. Despite this, the promised job never materialized. Instead, his personal information was exploited to set up a fraudulent company and bank account.

According to Police Superintendent Aditya Bansal, “Ashwani Kumar was lured with a job offer, and his documents were used to create a fake company and bank account. Through these, fake e-way billing worth about Rs 250 crore was generated.” He added that none of the money involved in the scheme was credited to anyone’s account.

Ashwani Kumar shared his experience, saying, “I received a job offer through WhatsApp and was asked to provide my home’s electricity bill and my father’s Aadhaar card. They also took Rs 1,750 from me. Now, I am informed that a company is operating in my name, which I know nothing about. The GST department has notified me about this fraudulent firm, and I have lodged a complaint with the police. They have recorded the calls and messages, but there is no GST number or related electricity bill.”

The GST department is collaborating with local authorities to investigate the case and take necessary legal actions. This incident underscores the growing trend of digital fraud, where scammers exploit job seekers’ personal information to perpetrate large-scale financial scams