Fake maid placement agencies targetting Delhi’s posh areas

NEW DELHI: Gangs offering fake domestic help and maid services to unsuspecting people have become a major racket in Delhi.

Members of such gangs enter residences in posh localities, work for a few days and then flee with the security amount the homeowners paid the agency for the domestic help.

Cops have busted three such gangs back-to-back busted from various parts of Delhi, including Kirti Nagar, Janakpuri and RK Puram, and arrested over half of the members of gangs involved in these crimes.

Investigators in Delhi Police told Millennium Post that to lure prospective victims, these gangs promote their fake placement agencies through posters in posh areas, pamphlets, advertisements in newspapers and magazines.

"They also make phone calls on random numbers, send bulk text messages and register themselves with search services companies. After getting phone calls from people, the accused send their maids to the houses," said an investigator.

Large residential colonies in the Capital, which require maids and domestic help, are the most common targets for these gangs. In a month, these gangs earn several lakhs of rupees.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Monika Bharadwaj claimed that one of the arrested accused took twothree months worth of advance money from one victim and, within a few hours, fled.

West District Police has busted several such rackets. In one such case, a doctor was duped by a one ‘Sonam Placement Agency' in Janakpuri. The accused, posing as an agent of the agency, came to the victim's house with a woman Kajal, who posed as a maid, and left after taking Rs 24,500 as security deposit from the victim.

After working for around 15 minutes, Kajal also left the house.

When the doctor went to the supposed address of the placement agency, he found it to be fake.

Another similar case was unearthed against the same accused persons, with the same modus-operandi.

The accused had posed as another fake placement agency ‘Manjul Maid Services'.

Investigators added they busted another gang in west Delhi's Kirti Nagar area. This gang's net is suspected to be spread across neighbouring states.

In most of these cases, it has been found that the maids do not have proper police verification.

Oftentimes, before fleeing the house where the maids are sent, the accused drug members of the household and then rob them of money and valuables.

Police said they are preparing a compendium of such criminals who are still active.