Texas journalist and whistleblower Sara Gonzales came up with another expose and this time on how the alleged scamsters recruit people in the US and illegally take a portion of their salaries sitting in India. In her latest YouTube video, Gonzales said she came across such so-called recruiters who drop their phone numbers on social media platforms, asking F-1 students to call them for their OPT extension. Most of these numbers have India code, Gonzales said adding that her video producer went undercover and contacted one such number to know about the process. The STEM OPT extension allows certain international students in the US to work longer after graduation if they completed a degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). It is an extension of the regular OPT (Optional Practical Training), which allows a student to work in the US for three years — 1st year as regular OPT and 2nd and 3rd years on extension. Gonzales said they called one Rakesh Jonnalagadda from a burner phone pretending to be an Indian student looking for an extension of the OPT. Turns out that Jonnalagadda works for Exito Tech INC, an e-verified company based in Michigan, and can offer jobs to Indian students and also promises an H-1B visa. The parent company of this Exito in Loggin In Tech Inc.An amount of $1,000 will be required for an offer letter, and there will be a 70-30 transaction for the monthly salary — 70% will go to the employee and 30% to Rakesh’s company. It was explained to the undercover caller that he will ger $2100 salary per month — in two checks of $900 and the rest $300 will go to the IRS.Gonzales said these people never asked for the applicant’s experience or CV and came to offer a letter straight away. She also emphasized that according to USCIS laws, no one can take any percentage of the salary of a STEM-OPT student or even H-1B visa holders.
