Bangalore : City police have busted a fake job certificate racket being run by at least seven ‘companies’, and arrested over 20 people. Police believe at least 25,000 candidates have secured jobs in reputed companies using these fake certificates.

Acting on a tip-off to City Police Commissioner M N Reddi, City Crime Branch sent a police constable as a decoy to one of these companies. The constable came back with a fake experience certificate and an ID proof. Following this, police raided Tanangi Informatics Consultancy Services, and seven other companies.

They said at least 50 companies could be engaged in the racket. “These companies were registered with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) but did nothing apart from providing fake certificates,” Reddi said. Hemant Nimbalkar, Joint Commissioner of police (Crime), said they charged between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000 for a fake job certificate and ID card.

While a fake certificate from a nonexisting company cost Rs 15,000, one from an existing company cost Rs 30,000. After securing the fake certificates, candidates apply for jobs in IT companies showing the documents as proof of employment.

The culprits had even set up a BPO call centre to answer background verification calls and give positive feedback. “The racketeers claimed to have applicants from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. In fact, during our raid, a youth from Madhya Pradesh walked in asking for a job certificate,” Nimbalkar said.

The accused would not only provide fake job certificates but also prepare the job-seekers’ credentials such as Form 16, identity cards, access cards and other required documents, he said. The accused are Kiran Kumar (35), Rangaraju (35), Sheikh Altaj Ahmed (39) and Balraj (29). Abhishek Goyal, DCP (Crime), said police have taken 26 people into custody from the seven premises, one of which was being run from a rented hotel room in Jayanagar 9th Block.

Raids were also conducted on companies on 100-feet Ring Road in BTM I Stage, Bank Colony of BTM I Phase, JP Nagar III Phase, and JP Nagar VII Phase. He said seals, identity cards, letterheads, computers, communication equipment, printers, scanners and laptops were seized in the raids.

He said more raids are being carried out, and a clear picture will emerge in a few days. Reddi said details of the companies that hired people with fake experience certificates are being collected. Cases will be booked against those who have secured lucrative jobs with the help of fake documents, he said.