The Union Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, has issued an advisory urging Indian citizens to avoid falling victim to fake job offers of working in Iran.

According to the MEA, an increasing number of Indians have recently been duped into visiting Iran under the guise of finding work or migrating to other countries. Once in Iran, these individuals were reportedly kidnapped by criminal groups, who demanded ransom from their families in exchange for their release, The New Indian Express reports.

The advisory stated that Iran only allows visa-free entrance to Indian people for tourism purposes. Any agent offering to assist visa-free travel for job or other non-tourism purposes is most likely working in collaboration with criminal networks, it said.

“All Indian citizens are strongly cautioned to exercise the strictest vigilance,” the MEA said and urged the Indian nationals to verify any job offers abroad and avoid suspicious travel promises. The ministry also appealed to families and job seekers to report such agents to authorities immediately and not to fall prey to schemes that could lead to grave personal danger.

Overseas visa fraudsters nabbed in UP

In other, related news, two men in Etah, Uttar Pradesh, were arrested for running a fake job and overseas visa racket in cahoots with other syndicates in Vietnam, India TV reported. The arrested, identified as Sahdev Singh and Neeraj, targeted Indians seeking overseas employment in countries like Australia and Canada.