Fraudsters sent fake PWD interview letters with forged ministerial stamps, tricking victims into paying "administrative deposits" for non-existent jobs. The scam collapsed when hopefuls showed up at Lucknow’s PWD office; with letters so convincing, they fooled initial visual checks. Now, police are chasing a syndicate using synthetic IDs and cash-only bribes. The bigger wake-up call? Most state hiring still runs on paper; leaving it wide open for forgery. Experts want QR-coded digital appointments linked to blockchain registries. Don’t pay cash for any government job; it’s always official, and always online.