300 Workers Allegedly Defrauded of Rs. 180 Million Through Social Media Job Scam

Rajesh Karki of Ramechhap came across a job opportunity advertisement for Bulgaria on Facebook. After seeing the promotional poster, he decided to apply and contacted Kozmo Education Consultancy, located in Koteshwor. Until he visited the office, everything appeared legitimate.

At the office, manager Hima Nayak and counselor Aastha Khadka provided him with counseling. They explained the job opportunities in Bulgaria, the nature of the work, and the costs involved.

“Everything sounded reasonable,” Karki said. “They explained the entire process, from PAN registration onward. There were vacancies for both Bulgaria and Croatia. To gain our trust, they said no deposit or advance payment was required and asked us to obtain a police report.”

He was told that the police report needed to be verified through the Bulgarian Embassy in Delhi, for which he was asked to pay Rs 25,000. He said he did not travel to Delhi himself and instead deposited the amount directly into the consultancy’s account.

About three months after the process began, Karki received a work permit. After signing it, he was asked to deposit Rs 200,000 for a VFS appointment. He also paid Rs 5,500 to the consultancy for medical examinations.

He was told to travel to Delhi for the VFS appointment on January 5. However, before the scheduled date, the phones of the consultancy staff were switched off. “That’s when I realized I had been cheated,” Karki said.

Similarly, Rajesh Shrestha of Bhaktapur visited Kozmo Consultancy after seeing a social media advertisement offering jobs in Croatia. He paid Rs 228,000 to the consultancy in cash after receiving a work permit.

Chandralal Nagarkoti also paid Rs 235,000 to the same consultancy for a packaging job in Croatia. When he was preparing to travel to Delhi for the VFS appointment, all contact numbers of the office were found to be switched off, confirming that he had been defrauded.

The husband and sister-in-law of Minu Moktan were also among the victims. They paid Rs 454,000 to the consultancy for foreign employment in Croatia.

Investigations indicate that Kozmo Consultancy collected millions of rupees from numerous individuals by promising overseas employment in Croatia and Bulgaria.

The consultancy’s operator, Lal Babu Ram, who is said to be living in Greece, has remained out of contact. He had been communicating with applicants via WhatsApp, but his number has since been deactivated.

More than 150 victims who paid money to travel to Croatia and Bulgaria have come forward. They are preparing to file complaints with the Department of Foreign Employment and the police. According to Karki, the complaints could not be filed on Wednesday due to time constraints and are expected to be registered on Thursday morning.

The victims detained two consultancy staff members from the Koteshwor office and handed them over to the police. Those taken into custody are Hima Nayak and Aastha Khadka.

According to Shrestha, the number of victims may exceed 300, with individuals paying amounts ranging from Rs 100,000 to Rs 285,000 each. During police questioning, the two detainees reportedly admitted that around Rs 180 million had been collected from approximately 300 people.

The Department of Foreign Employment has asked victims to submit complaints along with necessary evidence and stated that a formal investigation will begin once the complaints are registered.

Story taken from Onlinekhabar