Pune: Indian Army has identified a set of modus operandi of touts and fraudsters allegedly use to aspirants helping them to join the force.“During our investigations, we have found that the fraudsters have been using at least five distinct methods. Conducting fake recruitment rallies, issuing counterfeit Physical Fitness Test (PFT) slips or using impersonators, taking away candidates’ original certificates, collecting admit cards on the pretext of following up results and promising guaranteed recruitment by claiming links with senior officials. These methods we have noticed across the country. Therefore, we have resorted to various counter measures to prevent such cases to prevent candidates from getting trapped into these activities,” a senior army officer said on condition of anonymity.Major General Sanjay Vishwasrao, the additional director general (recruitment) of Southern Command, said, “We have been reaching out to aspirants in possible ways including posting messages and videos on various social media platforms regularly. The aim is to prevent such incidents.”The Army has specifically warned that some touts take original certificates from candidates after they have cleared an initial stage and subsequently harass them. “In another tactic, candidates are persuaded to hand over their admit cards so that the tout can supposedly track their results. Once a candidate succeeds through his or her own efforts, the touts demand hefty money for returning the original documents. Therefore, we have been advising them not to hand over their original documents to these touts,” added the officer.The warning assumes significance amid continuing cases of fake Army recruitment networks being detected across the country.In Aug, Punjab police busted an alleged network targeting Agniveer aspirants at recruitment rallies in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Military intelligence inputs had alerted authorities about suspected touts operating around a recruitment rally in Patiala.Investigations in earlier cases have shown that fraudsters often strengthen their claims by impersonating Army personnel, wearing uniforms or producing forged documents. In a 2025 case in Pune, Military Intelligence and city police arrested a man accused of promising Army recruitment to aspirants from Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttarakhand for money. Investigators had recovered forged identity cards, appointment letters, service certificates, bank documents, seals and letterheads purportedly belonging to Army establishments, said the army sources.Security experts say the fraudsters typically exploit the intense competition for government and defence jobs and the anxiety of candidates who believe that selection can be influenced through personal contacts. “Touts frequently target physically fit and academically capable candidates who are likely to clear the process on their own. The fraudster then claims credit for the candidate’s success, reinforcing the impression that he has influence within the recruitment system. That is how they managed to target more candidates,” said another army officer who had served in the directorate of recruiting.
