June 14, 2025 | Delhi/Gurgaon — A contract-based system engineer, employed at a major multinational corporation in Gurgaon for over six years, has been defrauded of ₹2 lakh by a fraudster claiming to help obtain a lost university degree—critical for a permanent role confirmation
Scam Background & Modus Operandi
In August 2024, the engineer’s IT department agreed to convert his contract into a permanent position, contingent on submitting his original graduation degree. He only had his marksheet, and was given 120 days by HR to present the actual certificate.
After failing to acquire the degree through official university channels, the engineer asked his manager for help. The manager provided contact details for Kapil Jakhar of Bhiwani, Haryana, who claimed to specialize in university document reissuance.
What began as a payment of ₹25,000–30,000 soon escalated as Jakhar repeatedly demanded further sums under false pretenses. Eventually, he emailed the engineer a fake degree lacking a signature, which was rejected by HR. Following the rejection, Jakhar blocked communication and disappeared.
Police Investigation & Arrest
Upon filing a complaint, Delhi Police—led by DCP (Central) Nidhin Valsan and Sub-Inspector Gaurav—initiated an investigation. Using digital forensics, they traced the scam to Jakhar and arrested him in Bhiwani.
Each of the ₹2 lakh payments was made in instalments, accompanied by fabricated timelines, and the fake document was carefully crafted to appear official.
Authorities suspect Jakhar may have defrauded multiple other individuals in similar schemes promising fake degrees or job placement assistance, and are currently reviewing further complaints.
HR & Job-Seeker Takeaways
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Verify educational credentials: Always cross-check certificates with the issuing university.
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Avoid unverified agents: Never rely solely on third-party facilitators for official documents.
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Enforce strict hiring checks: MNCs should implement robust degree verification during onboarding.
“This case highlights the need for stringent HR reporting mechanisms and proactive verification policies,” noted a senior compliance officer from a global IT firm.
Source: Times of India timesofindia.indiatimes.com