Kerala job scam: Man who cheated over 500 people with fake overseas offers arrested in Bengaluru

Kochi: After months on the run, the man behind one of Kerala’s biggest overseas job scams has finally been arrested. The accused Jyothish KJ, a native of Thodupuzha, was arrested by the Ernakulam Central Police from Bengaluru, where he had been hiding under the false identity ‘Vimal’.

According to the police, Jyothish is the alleged mastermind of a massive recruitment fraud run under the banner of Bethany Tours Pvt Ltd. The company reportedly operated from offices across Kerala, including Kochi, and lured hundreds of people with promises of low-skilled jobs in Canada and Australia. Victims were asked to pay between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh as ‘processing fees' in multiple instalments. More than 500 people are believed to have been duped through this scheme.

The particular case that led to Jyothish’s arrest was based on a complaint filed by a woman from Kadayiruppu in Ernakulam, who alleged she was cheated of ₹1 lakh. According to the FIR filed in August based on her complaint, Bethany Tours, which functioned near the Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand, convinced her they could secure a foreign job. Following their instructions, she transferred ₹1 lakh via bank on March 24. Despite repeated assurances, neither the promised job was given nor was her money returned.

Jyothish had been absconding for eight months. His two associates were arrested earlier but later released on bail. Police teams had previously travelled to Bengaluru twice based on leads but failed to trace him. This time, a coordinated operation using mobile phone tracking and secret surveillance led to his capture. According to the police, the accused had changed his appearance by shaving his beard and moustache and growing his hair to avoid recognition.

The police said the charges against him included cheating and criminal breach of trust. They are now tracking where the scammed money has been diverted to and identifying others involved in the fraud. “We suspect the fraud amount could be much higher than reported. Further interrogation is needed to find out how the money was routed and who else benefited from the scam,” said a police officer.

He was brought to Kochi on Wednesday, produced before the court, and remanded into judicial custody. The police are likely to seek his custody in the coming days for detailed interrogation.