Harsher Penalty Must To Deter Fraudsters

The yearning for a better life has pushed many Nepalis to seek career opportunities abroad; nevertheless, many fall prey to false job assurance and lose tens of thousands of rupees to fraudsters. The problem is getting more frequent these days, with many Nepalis eager to pay money in the hope of obtaining jobs abroad, which would make their and their dependents’ lives better. Fraudsters take advantage of cravings in people by promising lucrative jobs and better lives abroad in order to scam these unsuspecting people.

The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Bureau has detained several fraudsters who have been defrauding vulnerable people of millions of rupees by sending them abroad for lucrative professions. Nepalis are especially prone to such frauds because they are desperate to leave the country in quest of better work opportunities and a higher standard of living. Fraudsters entice these people with promises of high-paying work in nations such as Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and many others. 

These swindlers are frequently seen running manpower agencies and other organisations that they use to attract and then swindle individuals. Worryingly, many of these cheaters offer bogus job guarantees under the cover of government-to-government agreements signed between Nepal and other nations. This shows that the scammers have a robust mechanism in place to entrap susceptible people, who often fall prey to their fake, attractive promises. The emergence of fraudsters offering false job opportunities to Nepalis seeking employment overseas is a concerning trend these days. Individuals should exercise caution and thoroughly examine any job offers before making any financial commitments. The government should also take action to combat these scams and safeguard its citizens from falling victims to such deceivers and swindlers. 

Despite repeated warnings from authorities, many Nepalis continue to fall prey to scam schemes. It is often the case that foreign manpower agencies and middlemen frequently demand large sums from people seeking to work abroad, despite the government's confirmation that no hefty payments for foreign jobs are required. Individuals who are asked to pay substantial sums should therefore either visit a nearby government office to validate the authenticity of the request or report the occurrence to the police. Unfortunately, many Nepalis are still willing to pay expensive fees to the manpower agents and middlemen despite knowing that such a step could be hazardous, which is why such types of fraud continue to occur throughout the country. However, fraudulent job offers are not the only type of fraud that Nepalis face every day. 

Recently, a group with connections to government officials pocketed millions of rupees from Nepalis, promising to send them to the United States and other countries as Bhutanese refugees. Fraudsters selling inexpensive land and homes or networking firms that turn out to be fake, as well as examples of banking fraud, frequently make headlines, indicating swindlers’ disdain for the laws that could prevent criminal behaviour. Given the ongoing problem of fraudulent activities in which vulnerable Nepalis lose money and property, authorities must adopt a harder position and plug any legal loopholes that allow cheaters to take advantage of vulnerable people. Those detected swindling people under fake job assurance and other acts of fraud in which unsuspecting Nepalis lose millions of rupees should face a greater penalty as a deterrent to discourage them from repeating the offence in the future.