Many job offers may come to you through SMS, calls, and emails. Have you ever checked to see if they are legitimate? If you believe that these offers are legit, you are wrong. In many cases, fraudsters send fake job offers to job seekers so that they can make money quickly.
A 6.2 lakh online job fraud
An online fraudster duped a teenager from Pune out of Rs 6.2 lakhs by promising him a job with Mercedes Benz in Bengaluru in return for his money.
As part of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate, the Sangvi police station received the first information report (FIR) filed by victim Ravikumar (29) on Friday.
A person claiming to work for an online job recruitment firm began calling Ravikumar's mobile phone in April. In the complaint, Ravikumar is alleged to have been promised a good job with Mercedes Benz in Bengaluru, and he was asked to make an online payment for the job.
In an effort to obtain the job, the fraudsters provided the complainant with a few bank account numbers, and, in hope of getting hired, he transferred over Rs 6 lakh into these accounts through online transactions. Afterward, he received an 'appointment letter', which turned out to be fake, police said. He never got his money back from those fraudsters.
Warning signs of job scams
1. It is a big warning sign of a job scam when a job offer seems too good to be true. A great job is hard to come by. Usually, fraudulent job offers to contact you claiming that they found your resume online.
2. The job description provided in a fake job offer is unclear. There is no clear indication of what you will be doing.
3. The job offer emails sent by fraudsters are poorly written. They lack professionalism when compared to emails sent by legitimate businesses. They will have a lot of spelling errors in them. As reputable companies have professionals who can write well, they do not make silly mistakes.
4. The job offer is fake if you are asked for confidential information such as bank details. It is common for fraudsters to request your bank account information, claiming to be able to set up a direct deposit or transfer funds to your account. By giving out such information, fraudsters can make fraudulent transactions.
5. A fake job usually requires payment for the offer letter. Many of them claim the amount is refundable. However, if you make the payment, you will not receive a refund. You should keep in mind that reputed companies never ask for payments when offering jobs.
6. It is recommended that digital escrow platforms be used for payment. When making an online payment with Escrow, you do not share your financial information with anyone. There is a platform for escrow called Vouch.
How does digital escrow work?
In digital escrow, a third-party account holds the money deposited by the buyer until the seller fulfills the terms of the contract. The escrow company supervises the transacting parties.
What is the role of Digital Escrow in preventing online fraud in India?
Digital escrow services are offered by many companies in India. Among the most trusted is Vouch.
Vouch’s Digital Escrow service is a transparent way for buyers and sellers to build trust and secure a clean transfer of product and payment. Sellers can feel assured that they will be fairly compensated promptly, and buyers will feel confident that their order will be delivered as expected and on schedule. Vouch Digital Escrow keeps you updated and informed at every step of the transaction process till the end. Vouch’s professionals are always available to assist you with all queries that you may have during the entire transaction process.
There is no scope for deceit or fraud since the payments, shipping, delivery, and execution are carried out under the honest and watchful eyes of the Vouch’s professionals. With Vouch, any business transaction becomes transparent, uncomplicated, and hassle-free. If you ever come across a fraudster asking for OTP, asking you to scan a QR code, or asking you to click on phishing links, you can simply refuse and ask him/her to proceed with the transaction through Vouch.
This is Fraud Story #164. Check back here for more fraud stories and scams that you can protect yourself from.
Safety is not just about protecting your credit, debit card number, and UPI accounts. It's about having control of your money till you've received the product or service you bought online!
Note: This is a good-faith initiative to educate the world about avoiding frauds like these and how to act when you're becoming a victim of such a situation.
Do you have a fraud you would like to report? Please write to us at letstalk@iamvouched.com
