Fake website offering jobs in rural development department pulled down

IANS April 4, 2025 132 views

The Indian government has successfully taken down a fraudulent website impersonating the National Rural Development and Recreation Mission. Minister Kamlesh Paswan revealed that the fake organization was targeting job seekers by mimicking official recruitment processes. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) removed all related websites and the Ministry issued a public warning about the scam. Legitimate rural development job recruitments are conducted exclusively through official channels like UPSC and Staff Selection Commission.

"A disclaimer was published on the website cautioning the public against fraudulent recruitment" - Kamlesh Paswan
New Delhi, April 4: A fake organisation which was “hiring” gullible job seekers for various posts in the Department of Rural Development has been prosecuted and its website blocked, the Parliament was informed on Friday.

Key Points

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Fake rural development job website blocked by cyber authorities

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Official recruitment only through UPSC and SSC

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Ministry issued public warning about fraudulent organization

Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, said that the Department recently came across a fake organisation of “National Rural Development and Recreation Mission (NRDRM)” impersonating as a government agency.

The fake organisation, through its website, had called applications from candidates for recruitment to various posts by using content like that on the official website of the Department, said the MoS.

Taking cognizance of the matter, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs was requested to take down the fraudulent websites of NRDRM. The I4C removed all the related websites of the NRDRM from the Internet.

“A disclaimer was also published on the website of the Ministry about this fake organisation, and the public was also cautioned through public notice against the fraudulent websites of ‘NRDRM’ and its fake recruitment drive. The Department has also lodged an FIR in this regard,” said Paswan.

The MoS said all recruitments against the regular posts of Group 'A' to 'C' in the Department of Rural Development are done through the respective Cadre Controlling Authorities, through the designated recruitment agency, such as the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission.

He said all the schemes of the Department are implemented through the State Governments/UTs, and field functionaries for the implementation of such schemes are recruited by the respective State governments.

The MoS said to ensure immediate action against fraudsters, the Department has designated an Nodal Officer under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000) and Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 for issuing notice to intermediaries.

The Nodal Officer pertains to intermediaries in relation to any information which is prohibited under any law for the time being in force pertaining to this Department.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.
Glad they took action quickly! These scammers prey on desperate job seekers. The government should run more awareness campaigns about official recruitment channels. 👍
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Priya M.
My cousin almost fell for this last month! The website looked so official with all the government logos. People really need to double-check URLs before applying anywhere.
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Amit S.
While I appreciate the quick takedown, I wish the government would be more proactive in monitoring these fake sites before they scam people. Prevention is better than cure!
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Neha T.
This is why I always cross-check job postings on the official government portals. Scammers are getting smarter these days 😟 Stay alert everyone!
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Sanjay R.
Good job by I4C! More power to our cyber crime teams. These fraudsters deserve strict punishment - they play with people's hopes and hard-earned money.
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Meena P.
The disclaimer on the official website is helpful, but maybe they should also send SMS alerts to people who might have applied through these fake portals? Just a thought...

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Rural Development Jobs Cyber Crime NRDRM Scam Kamlesh Paswan Job Fraud
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