📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / binderdosanj
Crime
Punjab’s overseas dream turns deadly as fraud agents force couples into 7‑page contracts
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jalandhar
🗓 23 Aug 2026, 10:53 AM
👁 2
A growing scam in Punjab compels aspiring emigrants to sell assets and sign lengthy contracts with agents, leading some couples to suicide.
Thousands of families in Punjab are being lured by the promise of overseas employment, only to be coerced into selling their land, homes and savings to illegal agents. These agents promise visas and jobs abroad, but demand extensive documentation and hefty payments before any travel can be arranged.
The fraudsters have taken the exploitation further by requiring couples to sign a seven‑page agreement that often includes a clause demanding marriage before the promised migration can proceed. Over the past three years, police records show 3,225 cases filed against such agents, yet the racket continues unabated.
The psychological toll is severe: several victims have reported being driven to extreme distress, with a number of couples attempting or committing suicide after realizing the promises were false. Law‑enforcement agencies have warned the public and urged prospective emigrants to verify agents through official channels, but the lure of a better future keeps the scam alive.
Authorities say they are intensifying raids and monitoring of known fraud networks, but the sheer scale of the problem in Punjab, especially around Jalandhar, makes enforcement challenging. Victims are urged to seek help from consumer courts and the Ministry of External Affairs for legitimate migration assistance.
The fraudsters have taken the exploitation further by requiring couples to sign a seven‑page agreement that often includes a clause demanding marriage before the promised migration can proceed. Over the past three years, police records show 3,225 cases filed against such agents, yet the racket continues unabated.
The psychological toll is severe: several victims have reported being driven to extreme distress, with a number of couples attempting or committing suicide after realizing the promises were false. Law‑enforcement agencies have warned the public and urged prospective emigrants to verify agents through official channels, but the lure of a better future keeps the scam alive.
Authorities say they are intensifying raids and monitoring of known fraud networks, but the sheer scale of the problem in Punjab, especially around Jalandhar, makes enforcement challenging. Victims are urged to seek help from consumer courts and the Ministry of External Affairs for legitimate migration assistance.