Imagine receiving a message like this:
“Hey jobseeker, we have found a perfect job for you in your city. Click on the link below to apply and get a chance to earn up to ₹50k per month.”
Sounds tempting, right? A good salary, a job in your hometown – who wouldn’t be interested?
But that’s exactly how scammers lure unsuspecting victims to execute their job offer scam.
Let’s get into the details to understand how the scam is being operated by covering some real-life case studies and understanding how to identify fake job offer letter.
How Does the Job Offer Scam Work?
Generally, scammers reach out to job seekers either through email, WhatsApp message, or simply by posting tempting offers on social media.
Most of the time, scammers hack the security of job posting portals and create fake jobs to trap people.
Now, in all of these methods, the only intention of these scammers is to manipulate job seekers and ask for payment. To execute the same, their email or messages contain job offers with high salaries and links that redirect you to fabricated websites asking for an upfront payment.
Once you make the payment, they provide you with the offer letter of the company that doesn’t exist or of the real company where, on reporting victim come across about the fake offer.
Sometimes, they ask for personal data and other information, including OTPs that give them access to operate your bank account, eventually wiping off the amount from the account.
In short, scammers operate the scam by:
- By making fake recruitment calls
- Sending fake messages & phishing emails.
- Ask for upfront payment to apply for a job with a handsome salary package.
Types of Job Offer Scams
Now, there is no doubt that job offer scams are run only to loot your money, but to stay protected, it is essential to know the types by which scammers can target you.
Below is the list of common types of employment scams in India.
1. Fake Job Listing
What will you do if you come across an ad or job listing on social media or a platform like LinkedIn offering your dream job at a high pay scale?
You won’t let this opportunity slip out of your hand, and hence without wasting single minute just click on it to know more.
As you move further, you would be redirected to the webpage, which is fake and mentions names of some of the top-notch companies. This makes you trust the source, and you end up filling in our details to apply for it.
But here is the catch!
You need to make a payment to process your application.
Unfortunately, seeing your dream job, good salary, and reliable company’s name on the page made you trust the platform, and you ended up paying the fees.
But as soon as you complete the payment, TADAA! the error occurred and even on refreshing the page, you get no proof of payment done.
The scammers did their job well, and not only did your dreams of working in a reputable company shatter, but this incident left you in emotional & financial distress too.
2. Phishing Email
If you are someone who is in the search of job, then most likely you receive multiple emails every day offering you job that matches your profile.
Among those emails, some emails grab your attention with the subject line: ‘Get an Opportunity to Earn Upto ₹1 Lakh per month’.
You open that email where you find the job description that mostly matches your profile. This increases your interest to know more, and you click on the link provided.
Unluckily, that link contains malware that hacks your device and steals sensitive information.
The link redirects you nowhere, but you start receiving the message of the bank with the details of the amount debited from your account.
By the time you realized that it was an email scam, your account had been emptied by the scammer.
3. Online Interviews
Another way by which scammers operate job scams in India is by arranging online interviews through some unknown video-calling app or software.
They schedule the time and date of the interview and ask you to download the video calling software.
Excited to grab the opportunity, you click on the link without verification. The link, unfortunately, redirects you to the fabricated website or clone app asking for details and an OTP that provides them access to your bank account.
You fill in the details and wait for the interview that never happens.
4. Credit Report
Another group of scammers makes you believe that you have been hired by arranging fake interviews and confirming your joining.
Once you are all set, they spread their trap and ask you to share your credit report to validate your financials.
Now, you have a job offer in your hand and don’t want to let go of the job and thus follow the instruction. The scammer then shares one link with you that asks foryour credit details and other bank details.
As soon as you submit the details, the bank transaction message pops up on your device, making you realize it’s a scam.
5. Career Consulting
The person contacts you in person, impersonating himself as a career consultant. To make you trust him, he shares his website link and fake testimonials with you.
They offer you free career counselling.
Seeing the free service benefit, you sign up for the service and share your resume.
Now the time comes when that so-called scammer executes his scam. He marked certain mistakes in your CV and asked you for fees to make it more professional.
Believing him, you pay a good amount as a fee to him.
And like always, after fees, he blocks you and vanishes with the amount you paid.
6. Work From Home Jobs
Post-COVID-19, the trend of Work-from-Home is on rise. People often prefer working remotely and find for job offering them such opportunities.
Scammers leverage such needs and approach job seekers with such opportunities.
Excited to get started, job seekers apply without verification, end up handling them over their financial information and other details that give them access to bank account.
Some scammers ask for upfront payment too, and just in the fear of not losing such opportunity, job seekers end up paying hefty fees to them.
7. Government Jobs
Who doesn’t want a secure job? That’s why when someone approaches you with an opportunity for a government job—no exam, no interview, and a permanent post based on merit—many people eagerly apply.
Scammers take advantage of this demand by asking for upfront fees.
To create urgency, they impose short deadlines, making it almost impossible for people to verify the details.
It is only after months of waiting that they realize they have been scammed, left with nothing but regret.
8. Fake Data-Entry Jobs
With the rise of remote work, data entry jobs have become a popular choice for job seekers looking for flexible earning opportunities.
Scammers take advantage of this demand by offering high-paying data entry roles that require little effort.
They ask for a registration fee, training cost, or even a software deposit, claiming it’s necessary to get started.
Once the payment is made, the recruiter disappears, or the work assigned is either unrealistic or never gets paid.
Many victims are also tricked into signing fake contracts, threatening legal action if they refuse to pay further fees.
9. Fake Overseas Jobs
The dream of working abroad can be enticing, but scammers exploit this by offering fake international job opportunities.
They pose as recruitment agencies or direct employers, promising high salaries, free accommodation, and easy visa processing, all for an upfront processing fee.
Some even conduct fake interviews over phone or video calls to make the offer seem legitimate.
After paying the amount, job seekers either receive fraudulent visa documents or never hear from the recruiter again.
In many cases, victims arrive at their destination only to find that no job exists, leaving them stranded in a foreign country.
How to Report a Job Scammer?
It is always good to be alert to protect yourself from such scams; however, in case you have been scammed, here are ways to report it as soon as possible.
- Report it at the job portal where you came across the offer.
- File a complaint in cyber crime.
- Lodge an FIR in the local police station.
- Report to bank and block your transaction.
How to Protect Yourself from Fake Job Offers?
- Avoid answering unnecessary calls.
- Always verify job details by visiting the actual website instead of clicking on the link provided in the ad.
- Never pay upfront fees or share any credit or financial information. No reliable company asks for fees for job offerings.
- Don’t get trapped in pressure tactics. Take your time verifying details and respond accordingly.
- In case you find anything suspicious, take quick action and report online frauds in India by visiting a reliable platform.
Conclusion
Finding a job can be quite challenging, especially in a sector with limited vacancies or low demand. In such cases, the chances of falling into a job scam increase significantly.
However, with the right awareness and caution, you can not only protect yourself from these scams but also avoid the consequences that come with them.
Stay informed and alert and apply for job using reliable and trustworthy platforms.
