Visakhapatnam: Vizianagaram district police have arrested four individuals in connection with a job scam that defrauded seven unemployed youths of Rs 53 lakh by promising them government jobs.

Deputy commissioner of police Srinivas revealed that the accused—Chekka Mahesh (35), Nainarapu Chetan Rubin Kumar (39), Gunturu John alias Jai Raj (58), and Kalapala Yacob (47)—issued fake appointment letters and ID cards claiming to offer jobs in the Revenue, Railways, Social Welfare, and Forest departments.

The scam came to light when the victims attempted to verify their appointments. The victims, aged between 25 and 34, are from Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Manyam districts. Individual amounts cheated ranged from Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

Police have so far recovered Rs 6 lakh and are continuing efforts to recover the rest. Five more individuals involved in the racket, including the prime accused Kothapalli Sai Venkata Sujith, are still at large.