After the COVID phase, the scope of online and work-from-home opportunities increased significantly, which undoubtedly brought many opportunities for people to work remotely. Along with this benefit, it has also brought an opportunity for scammers to use their masterminds to scam people looking for such work.
Recently, news came out that a Pune-based resident lost ₹27.46 L in one such online work scam.
Just think about what made this happen.
Did the victim not get any red flags before getting scammed or did he just ignore it in the greed of earning a huge profit?
Let’s get into the detail to understand the case and reasons behind the increasing number of such complaints.
How a Victim Falls into the Scammer’s Trap?
As per the Police report, the resident of Wagholi filed a complaint about getting scammed. As per the report he lost around ₹27 L in the scam.
According to the report, the scam started on November 4 when the victim received a message on WhatsApp with an opportunity to work from home and earn decent money on completing tasks.
Initially, to gain trust, the scammer provided the promised amount to a scammer and gradually trapped him in paid tasks to earn more returns, where he was asked to deposit the amount in different bank accounts.
In all, the victim transferred ₹27.46 L but on getting no response or return from the scammer, he contacted the person but found his number switched off.
This made him realize that he had been scammed.
Without wasting any time he reported the case to the nearest police station and is currently under investigation.
The point here is not to discuss the scam, but the reason why it happened.
For sure, the victim had not transferred the whole amount in one go. So why did it take too long for a victim to identify the scam.
Why Did It Take So Long for the Victim to Identify the Scam?
Well, no doubt these online scams are designed to manipulate a person emotionally. They work on gaining trust by using psychological tactics.
Now let’s break down the reasons why victims of online fraud take time to identify such scams.
1. Providing them the Opportunity to Work from Comfort Zone
Nobody invests such a huge amount in the beginning. Scammers wait for such moments and make them make such decisions by building trust.
For this, they make regular payments initially.
Once the victim finds a way to make huge money and earn quick profits from home it fuels greed in them making them invest more in the push of scammers.
2. Lack of Proper Research & Consultation
Some people do not consider consulting with their friends or family before making such a huge investment. They generally hide such schemes from their family out of excitement or fear of being judged.
Their lack of communication generally keeps them away from proper guidance which might have helped them in identifying the scam.
3. Fear of Losing Prior Investment
Once they make an initial investment and are unable to access it they follow the instructions of the scammer to unlock their previous invested amount.
This generally ends up in adding more money.
4. Using Digital Tools & Platforms to Look Authentic
Scammers use sophisticated platforms, websites, and apps with proper job descriptions to look authentic. This leaves no sign of doubt and people landing on such platforms find it as an opportunity to grow their capital.
Now these are things that scammers do to trap people, but the major concern is what made people opt for such schemes where they had to make payment first to do tasks.
Why do People Fall For Such Scams?
No one wants to lose money and still every other day thousands of people are falling victim to such scams. Some report their case while some just hide it out of embarrassment.
Now the question is when everyone focuses on earning money, what made them fall for such traps?
Here are some of the major reasons:
1. Economic Pressure:
Well, the major reason behind this is increasing unemployment. Economic parameters like the recession have made people look for such opportunities online.
Looking at demand, scammers started using fake websites with fake job opportunities to target people.
2. Lack of Awareness
Other than this, a lack of awareness among job-seekers makes it difficult for them to identify the trap where the person offering the job asks for upfront payment.
3. Weak Regulations
Last but not least, the lack of proper regulation is another big reason behind such scams. Since many scammers operate from countries with different laws and enforcement practices, it becomes difficult to take legal action.
Additionally, many victims are embarrassed or unaware of how to report scams, further hindering efforts to hold scammers accountable.
Conclusion
The case of the Pune resident is a stark reminder of the risks lurking in the digital world. Scammers prey on trust, hope, and financial vulnerability leaving victims devastated both financially and emotionally.
While opportunities for online work are abundant, so are the dangers.
By staying informed and cautious, we can protect ourselves and others from falling into these traps. Remember: No legitimate work opportunity will ever ask you to pay first. Your safety and financial security should always come first.
In case you have been a victim of any such scam, report your case with the help of our team. Just fill in the basic details in the form below and a callback will be arranged in no time.
