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India Today
15-05-2025
- India Today
Fake call centre using popular portals to scam jobseekers busted in Delhi, 14 held
A fake job call centre operating out of Noida and scamming jobseekers across India using recruiter access has been busted by Delhi's Cyber Police. The alleged mastermind, Fahiq Siddiqui, along with 13 others including 6 women, has been arrested in a major cybercrime crackdown by Delhi's New Delhi District gang posed as HR professionals offering jobs in reputed firms, targeting victims who had uploaded their resumes on platforms like and In what police described as a 'sophisticated and layered scam,' the accused extracted money from desperate jobseekers under the guise of training fees, security deposits and job kit case came to light after a woman lodged a complaint, stating she had been duped of over Rs 30,000. She had uploaded her profile on and in search of a medical job. Within days, she received calls from people claiming to be recruiters — first asking for a refundable Rs 500, then gradually demanding larger amounts in the name of training and documentation. The scam began to unravel when she refused to pay Rs 11,000 for 'salary account opening,' and realised she'd been the investigation, technical surveillance led police to a masked suspect withdrawing money from an ATM in Noida. CCTV footage, CDR analysis, IP tracking and cooperation with helped identify a suspicious recruiter suspect, Fahiq Siddiqui, was eventually traced to Laxmi Nagar and linked to a premise in Noida's Sector May 14, a team led by Inspector Harish Chandra from the New Delhi District conducted a raid at an office located at D-15, Sector 3, Noida, uncovering a fully operational illegal call centre. The team seized 8 laptops, 47 mobile phones, 57 SIM cards, 15 debit cards, 2 WiFi dongles along with Rs 1.31 lakh in accused had subscribed to recruiter services, giving them legitimate access to job seeker databases. They used this access to select targets, pose as HR executives and carry out the scam via calls and emails. Mohit Kumar alias Sumit, another accused, supplied fresh bank accounts and SIM cards, collected from individuals for Rs 2,000 say the scale of the scam may be much bigger and more victims are likely to come forward. SIM cards and mobile numbers are being analysed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for links to other complaints across the scam has raised serious questions about the verification and monitoring of recruiter accounts on job portals. By purchasing recruiter access on the fraudsters were able to pose as legitimate hiring agents — turning trusted platforms into hunting grounds for Police has reiterated its warning to job seekers: no genuine employer asks for money in exchange for a job. If you're asked to pay for training, documentation or salary account processing — it's likely a scam. Meanwhile, a further investigation into the matter is still Watch IN THIS STORY#Noida
Mint
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Code junkies make way for AI pros as skills landscape shifts
Employers are keen on hiring tech pros skilled in artificial intelligence rather than traditional coding, even as roles diminish in project management, data analysis and content marketing, a Mint+Shine Talent Insights study found. The study, based on responses from 1,300 job seekers and 251 HR executives in the January-March period, reflects the changing landscape of skills sought by Indian companies. "29% survey respondents reported a decline in demand for traditional coding roles compared to last year. Entry-level coding and support jobs may decline, but high-value, AI-assisted engineering and product roles are on the rise," the study said. Despite the crests and troughs in the job market, the IT sector remained one of India's top recruiters in 2024, accounting for 37% of the total hiring. "Rising demand for IT services, digital transformation across industries, emerging tech and startups, rapid adoption of AI, remote working supporting global hiring and ample talent pool are key growth drivers for this industry," the study noted. "The job market is evolving faster than ever, and so are the expectations. AI is transforming how we work, but it's also redefining what we value. Only those who grow with the change will stay relevant in the new world of work," said Akhil Gupta, chief executive officer (CEO), Hence, companies catering to new-age skills have been a bright spot, witnessing continued demand and fundraising, in an otherwise gloomy edtech sector. Companies like upGrad and Eruditus have raised new rounds of funds, while others like Physics Wallah, which earlier operated in adjacent segments like test prep and K-12, have diversified into upskilling to cash in on the growing demand. Also read | Coding is currently GenAI's killer app, says Databricks AI head Naveen Rao Companies have seen the shift in the demand for specific skill sets, where some of the popular ones are getting phased out, also resulting in the need to upskill. "Technology has always evolved in cycles—from trials and proofs-of-concept to mass production and commoditization. Today, we are amid one such cycle, where digital technologies like AI and automation are transforming industries with unprecedented pace and breadth," said Amit Chadha, chief executive officer and managing director, L&T Technology Services. Chadha pointed out that skills that were "once central to traditional engineering such as standalone computer-aided design (CAD), computer aided manufacturing (CAM), or manual testing, are gradually giving way to integrated, intelligent, and automation-driven approaches. CADs and CAMs are often used to build prototypes. Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) and e-commerce are among sectors that remain attractive. In fact, the banking sector may have hired fewer than the previous year, but remains one of the top recruiters. Mint had reported in April that lenders had over-hired after the pandemic and underestimated the growth of digital services, and now recruitment in the lower orders has eased a bit. In the e-commerce industry, logistics and dark stores continue to recruit in good numbers. Read this | Talent shortage, candidates' demands delay hiring closures: Mint+Shine study Global capability centres (GCC), essentially dedicated technical centres for global companies, are another talent-guzzler. The study pointed out that GCCs in India are set to create 425,000-450,000 new jobs this year. RPG Group said it is using strategic skill mapping, customized learning programmes and cross-functional gigs to update talent. "Siloed technical expertise and professionals with narrow technical skills without adaptability may find their roles getting limited as interdisciplinary knowledge is becoming more valuable," cautioned Supratik Bhattacharyya, chief talent officer at the group. Whether established business houses or startups, companies are scanning the talent pool for AI-based skill sets. "The shift is clear: it's no longer about 'Do you know AI?' but "Can you apply AI to solve a business problem in your domain in real-world scenarios?" said Mayank Kumar, co-founder, upGrad. The upskilling platform says it has seen a 40% quarterly uptick in the March quarter for a host of AI-related courses. Similarly, Raman Khanduja, co-founder and CEO at MintOak Innovations, a company that helps banks innovate and compete with new-age fintechs, sees routine coding, manual operations and narrowly defined roles losing relevance. 'What's gaining ground are skills that harness the power of AI, not just in engineering, but also in areas like data analysis, customer insights and content syndication." While firms are scanning the job market for the right candidate, Dale Vaz, co-founder of stock trading platform Sahi, points out how AI models have boosted business. "Our brokerage, for example, is priced at just ₹10 per order—50% lower than many leading brokers—thanks to our AI-first cost structure," said Vaz, the former chief technology officer (CTO) of e-commerce company Swiggy. And read | AI to play a key role in hiring, but aspirants prefer human contact: report
