Common Types of Job Scams and How They Work

Job scams can take many different forms, but there are a few common types that you should be aware of. One of the most common is the “work-from-home” scam, in which scammers offer the opportunity to work from home and make a lot of money with little effort. There are job offers that come in from fake airline companies for ground staff. These scams often require you to pay for training or equipment upfront, and the promised work never materializes. Do not accept job offers that promise to pay for liking and subscribing YouTube videos and channels.

Fake job postings are also a common scam. Scammers will post fake job openings on legitimate job boards or create their own job board websites, and then require you to pay a fee to apply or undergo a background check. In some cases, scammers will even conduct fake interviews to try to get your personal information.

Fraudsters contact potential victims through WhatsApp and Telegram offering them part-time work/jobs such as reviewing and rating Youtube videos, hotels, movies etc. Upon accepting the offer, you are added to a Telegram channel which is operated by the 'task manager,' who assigns the 'task.' The task is to hit the 'Like' button on YouTube videos and send a screenshot to the ‘manager.’ As users keep on liking the YouTube videos, the accumulated earnings are shown on the 'task chat (on the Telegram channel)’. These earnings are only for display and the fraudster doesn’t send any money or may at times initiate a small payment of a few hundred rupees. The fraudster will ask you to 'invest' some amount (which is in thousands) to get their accumulated earnings. Once the money is transferred, scammers block your number on Whatsapp and Telegram. At time they even ask for the bank details to deposit the earnings and steal money from the account.

Red Flags to Look Out for in Job Postings

If the job posting promises an unusually high salary, little effort or qualifications required, or a guarantee of employment, it is likely to be a scam.

Check the company’s website, social media pages, and reviews to verify if the company and job offer are legitimate. If the website looks unprofessional or lacks contact details, it may be a red flag.

Do not make any payment through online transfer. Legitimate employers will never ask you to pay for anything upfront, such as a background check or training program. If a company asks for an upfront payment, it’s likely to be a scam.Do not share credit/debit card details, CVV number, OTP.

Scammers may ask for your sensitive information such as Aadhaar, Passport Number, bank account number, or PAN card details. Be cautious about providing this information unless you are confident about the company’s legitimacy.

Be cautious of emails from companies you have not applied to. Scammers use fake emails to trick job seekers into sharing their personal information.

Scammers conduct fake interviews to gain access to your personal information or convince you to pay for a background check or training program.

Legitimate employers will take the time to proofread their job postings and emails. Poor grammar or spelling mistakes in the job posting or email is a sign that the posting may be fake.

Always remember that any person who asks you to pay money to enable you attend an interview, for document verification or for a deposit to release the money you have eared is a potential fraudster.

Please write out to us at reportfraud@freshersworld.com in case you have received any suspicious communication via Whatsapp, email, phone calls etc.

Freshersworld does not promise a job or interview opportunity in exchange of money. We value the trust you place in Freshersworld.com and are committed to making your job search a safe and fraud-free experience on our platform.