Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, one of the leading Indian multinational companies engaged in oil exploration across the world, is facing a unique problem. Fake advertisements for recruitment in the ‘Navaratna’ company are being issued by some individuals to defraud gullible job-seekers, an official said.

According to Dr Anil Raja Vijan, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communications, ONGC, these fake advertisements mention recruitment to various posts in the company.

“Moreover, it has also come to the notice of ONGC that some fake organisations/individuals are sending job offers to unsuspecting people through e-mail,” he said.

In the latest case, one Ashwin Pandya received a job offer through e-mail in Mumbai on January 3. Pandya was asked to deposit money in a bank in the shape of a bond.

However, Pandya got suspecious and on enquiry from the ONGC realised that it was a fraud. In 2006, advertisements for Class III and IV posts were published in Dehradun and Surat by unscrupulous elements to mislead the general public. As per practice, ONGC advertisements are released by its Corporate Communications department and no such advertisements are released directly to the newspapers.