Paid ₹1.28 lakh first, signed later: 6 red flags in the TOMCOM row

Trainees in the TOMCOM Germany program say they moved to Hyderabad, started classes and paid about ₹1.28 lakh each. Only then did they get a form to sign. A November 2026 investigation reported this.

TOMCOM is the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Ltd. It is a government-backed company that sends young people to Germany for nursing, driving, mechatronics (machines and electronics work) and Ausbildung. Ausbildung is vocational training, where you learn a trade and work at a company.

In October we wrote about how to check a German job offer before you pay. At that time, candidates reported total fees of ₹2.5 lakh to ₹4.10 lakh. This post covers what has come out since.

What has changed in the TOMCOM Germany trainee program?

On 29 October 2026, R.S. Praveen Kumar, general secretary of the BRS party, formally alleged a "TOMCOM scam". He demanded refunds for candidates and a criminal case against the private partner involved. The Hindu reported this on 30 October.

Then in November, an investigation showed how the dispute began. Candidates in the Ausbildung program had already moved to Hyderabad and started classes.

They had paid about ₹1.28 lakh each. Only after that did they get a Candidate Agreement Form (CAF) to sign. These are allegations from candidates and politicians. Siasat reports that TOMCOM stayed silent on the form.

What was in the Candidate Agreement Form?

A private implementation partner, Fairstreet India Pvt Ltd, issued the form. It did not mention TOMCOM at all. So candidates who thought the deal was with a state agency were asked to sign with a private company.

The form also had indemnity or liability clauses. In simple words, these say the company is not responsible if things go wrong. It weakened the promise of real interviews with German employers. And it said any legal dispute must be settled in a court in Lucknow, far from Telangana.

Candidates were also reportedly asked for another ₹20,000 for B1 German exams. B1 is a middle level of the language.

Some politicians say a few youths who did reach Germany for technical jobs, like mechatronics, ended up in unrelated manual work. One example given was cutting meat. We can't confirm individual cases, but the claim shows why you must see the job in writing.

What does Germany's own rule say about fees?

This is the part to remember. In official government-to-government routes like Triple Win, there are no placement or recruitment fees. Germany's Federal Employment Agency (ZAV) and GIZ run it. TOMCOM and Kerala's NORKA Roots are partners.

You still pay some personal costs. These are document translation, notarisation (an official stamp that confirms a copy is genuine), travel to interviews, and sometimes part of the language course. But the German side does not charge you to be placed.

Germany also has a voluntary state quality seal for fair recruitment. Under it, the employer pays the recruitment costs, not you. The official portal Make it in Germany explains the legal routes for skilled workers.

Germany aims to bring in 400,000 skilled workers a year. Private firms now handle much of the language training and paperwork, and candidates report high fees for programs sold as government-backed.

6 red flags before you pay a recruiter

These apply to state agencies and private recruiters alike, for nurses, drivers, mechatronics workers and trainees.

1. Payment before the contract. Never pay a large sum before you have received, read and signed the full written agreement. The ₹1.28 lakh in this case came first.
2. Who is the other party? Check whether your contract is with the state agency (TOMCOM, NORKA Roots) or with a private company. If it is a private company, its credentials and its responsibilities must be written clearly.
3. Liability clauses. Watch for lines that free the agency from blame if you get no job, fail the visa, or the employer backs out.
4. Fees in disguise. German employers do not charge candidates for placement. Be careful with "recruitment charges" hidden inside high language-training or admin fees.
5. No named employer. Ask for the name of the German employer or hospital before you sign. In official routes, a specific employer interviews you. Never fly to Germany on a tourist visa, or without a named employer on your work contract.
6. Faraway court. Read the dispute clause. If a Telangana program sends you to a Lucknow court, treat it as a major warning sign.

What should you do now?

If you have already paid and have not signed, stop. Ask in writing for the full agreement, the employer's name and a refund policy. Keep every receipt and chat message.

If you're only thinking about applying, email these six questions to the recruiter first. A genuine recruiter answers plainly. If the answers are vague, walk away.

Your next step this week: ask the recruiter to send the agreement in writing, and do not pay anything until you have read every clause.

Cover photo: Sahil Singh on Pexels