In the season of IT layoffs, Rs 10,000 can get you a letter of experience

Regular updates: Make it a practise to regularly update your resume even if not actively looking for a job. This means that if the opportunity presents itself, you will not waste time hesitating or delaying to make updates on the spot. (Image: Reuters)

I get an SMS. “Busy now. Call at 5. Amarjeet.” Since this is his full-time job, I wonder if he has somehow discovered my identity. I call at 5pm sharp to confirm. Thankfully he hasn't and seems to be genuinely busy with the "season rush", which is at its peak and requires him to churn out at least 50 certificates a day for "clients" he gets through search engines. While he claims to be in the "business" of job certification, all he does is hand out fake experience letters for a few thousand rupees.

Amarjeet operates out of an office space in Navi Mumbai. Office? Yes, because there are some shrewd companies who send out field agents to check whether the particular company mentioned in an individual’s resume exists or not. He has to ensure that there are adequate cover-ups available to protect his clients, which he claims run into lakhs.

The rate cards are fixed. You choose the number of years of experience that you need, they will provide the names of "companies" in their list, choose one and move on. The price varies from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 depending on how quickly you want the certificate and whether you want the "HR" number to be provided or not.

In a market where fake degrees and exaggerated salary bills are presented for better job prospects, Amarjeet and his peers have to tread cautiously to ensure that they do not get caught. Human resource verification is slowly becoming the norm during all background verification processes where even the HR of the previous organisation (in this case the one they have created) is contacted to check the veracity of the details mentioned in the resume. And, of course, it is a match.

Ameerpet, a locality in Hyderabad, is considered the hub of fake job certificates. With the information technology companies just a few miles away, these agents have a field day in churning out fake certificates by the hour. When the authorities strike, they down their shutters and set up shop at another location. And the cycle continues.

Background verification companies feel that the area of operation has widened to include several parts of Bangalore, Chennai as well as Mumbai. The modus operandi is simple and similar at most places: Pay us money, we will give you "genuine" certificates.

Rahul Belwalkar, Chief Executive Officer of background verification company SecUR Credentials, said that they have now drawn out lists of suspicious companies across the country whose only job is to offer a letter of experience for candidates to give their employers, often large IT firms.

To verify that such companies actually exist, companies like Belwalkar's now undertake field visits.

“Often, they have fancy buildings with genuine looking staff when you go for a visit. Only after a thorough verification are we able to ascertain that the company is fake,” he said. He added that the top three to four IT and ITeS companies have already prepared a list of such companies and blacklisted them.

Whatever the qualifications, agents such as Amarjeet will get them included in your resume. Even a recommendation from the "CEO" can be provided on an additional payment.

When I met Amarjeet at a mall in Navi Mumbai to spruce up my resume, I guess he wasn’t too convinced by my story. He demanded an upfront cash payment of Rs 10,000, admitting that electronic dealings are a no-no for fear of getting caught.

As I tried to engage him in a conversation, he said that both he and his two brothers have been running this business for three years. He rents most of the office spaces and shifts location every six months. While most of the agreements are struck over phone, he does meet people occasionally if they have any special demands.

He said that advertising was his biggest problem, which is why they call themselves job certification agencies and offer names such as Platoon Technical Solutions, ESPRO Technologies, PureTechno, among others. When one name has been used more than a hundred times, they change the name of the company.

But won’t a simple investigation be enough to blow their cover?

“Large IT firms hire in bulk and for junior positions. They neither have the time nor the money to conduct physical verifications or check the company credentials with the official Ministry of Corporate Affairs registry. If they do conduct a check post the issuance of offer letter, that is not my headache,” he said firmly.

Companies, however, are not naïve, and are routinely conducting inspections as well as registration number checks of the companies to ensure that they are not fake. But once an individual is hired, Amarjeet’s job is over. There have been multiple cases of IT firms sacking employees procuring fake certificates, but by then the agent is out of reach.

These agents do not have one phone number nor do they disclose any personal details. The day you get your employment letter or the day an "office" verification is done, they are no longer involved nor will you be able to reach them.

Amid frequent reports of mass layoffs across IT companies, Amarjeet jokingly said that the market looks bright with candidates looking for certificates in one day, and maximum traction coming in from Bangalore. He reminded me about the payment twice and when I told him that I was short of cash, he stopped.

I tried calling him again later. His number did not exist. Maybe it was a busy day. Or as he says, it was his "season".