Fraud AirAsia agents: Why Indian job seekers will keep getting duped

After a Mumbai Mirror story reported that dozens of people might have been duped by these scam advertisers, Firstpost called up the number mentioned on the paper.
The phone was readily answered within 2-3 rings. A gentleman, who identified himself as Mahesh Chavan received the call. Pretending to be a prospective applicant, we enquired about the ‘employment opportunity’. The conversation went thus:
Firstpost reporter: Hi, I saw an advertisement on today’s paper…
Mahesh: Which paper? When did you see this?
Firstpost reporter: Saw it today on Mumbai Mirror. It is about employment in AirAsia…
Mahesh: Yes, we are hiring for AirAsia. What do you do, what have you studied?
Firstpost reporter: I completed graduation, currently unemployed.
Mahesh: Okay, come with Rs 35,000 tomorrow. After you deposit the money with us, we will train you and you will start working.
Firstpost reporter: What is the Rs 35,000 for?
Mahesh: For training. We will train you for three days at the international airport. Then you will start working. You can start working whenever you want to. The salary will be Rs 30,000 per month and there will be other perks.
Firstpost reporter: What will be this job? And where will I have to pay the money?
Mahesh: I will sms you the address. You have to pay the money there and then go to the Andheri airport where the training will start.
26/06/13 Piyasree Dasgupta/First Post.com