Uttar Pradesh Police rescued nearly 300 youths and arrested 19 people, including the alleged mastermind, in a crackdown on a fake network marketing job scam in Varanasi. The operation was part of the statewide Cyber Vajra campaign targeting cyber fraud.
How the fake job racket operated
The accused ran an illegal multi-level marketing (MLM) and pyramid scheme under the guise of Mahadev Enterprises, falsely claiming affiliation with Royal Health Wellness Private Limited. They lured unemployed youths from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh with promises of office jobs, Tata company roles, or agricultural work in Varanasi, offering a monthly salary of Rs 25,000.
Victims were asked to pay joining fees of Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 and received low-value kits worth Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 in return. After joining, recruits were shifted to a training center, where they were pressured to enroll others and threatened with non-payment if they failed.
Financial and digital evidence seized
Police recovered 20 mobile phones, including an iPhone 17 Pro, SIM cards, and IMEI records containing chats and audio linked to the fraud. Other seized items included an ASUS laptop, two four-wheelers, Rs 4,020 in cash, and corporate documents tied to Mahadev Enterprises.
Bank transactions of nearly Rs 4 crore were traced over the past year, with investigations ongoing. Five complaints were filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, and four written complaints were received, totaling nine cases so far.
The arrested include alleged kingpin Deepak Kumar Shah (31) from Bihar’s Jamui district, along with 18 others from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Police stated that further investigations are underway.
