Duped Of Money & Hard Work: Know-How Online Job Scams Become A Countrywide Trap For Job Seekers

For job seekers trying to distinguish between real job advertisements and scams, seeking an online data entry job can be difficult. One of the simplest work-from-home jobs available today, a data entry job, is also utilised to trap or fraud unwary victims.

In a data entry job scam, scammers offer work with an attractive monthly salary and then ask the job seeker for a security deposit to cover the cost of the service before their employment can be finalised. The victims are duped of their money either before the assignment starts or after a month or two of working.

The fraudsters don't only belong to India. There have been reports of people falling prey to these scams originating from the Middle East too. Moreover, the "employers" often are well-spoken professionals with fake websites and profiles that seem legitimate. This only adds to the credibility of the scam.

Kochi Police investigators claim that fraudsters are increasingly robbing modest amounts from more people rather than the large sums they used to deceive a few job applicants.

Duped Of Hefty Security Deposit

An online job search led Swathy (name altered) to a data entry position. She was a postgraduate who had previously worked as a teacher and was looking for a remote position. She called the number mentioned in a data entry job advertisement, and when Raj Singh answered, he instructed her to send her information via WhatsApp, reported The New Indian Express. A ₹15,000 security deposit was also requested of her, with the promise that it would be returned together with the first month's rent. She gave the money after deciding that the links supplied were legitimate.

She received a mail ID, user ID, and password in exchange. However, numerous tries to log in using the supplied credentials were futile. As she grew uneasy, she dialled her first contact, who provided her with the phone number of what he called their support staff.

Her attempts to call the number were unsuccessful. The support service was unresponsive, so she phoned Raj Singh once more and sought a refund of the security deposit. The support service should be contacted with any grievances, he added, as a refund was not an option.

A preliminary investigation uncovered a number of bogus websites made by fraudsters to communicate with their target audience and send them private messages. The majority of them were based in north India. Although some of them have been located in Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, their leaders have not yet been found.

Duped After A Month Of Working

Ragini (name changed to protect identity), a native of Kalas in Maharashtra, told The Logical Indian that she too was offered a job in the data entry sector. "I was a homemaker and wanted a part-time job that would keep me busy and help me earn some money. I saw a pamphlet at a bus stop which said I could earn ₹2,000 daily and work as per my schedule. For a mother of one kid, this was the perfect opportunity."

When Ragini contacted the number on the pamphlet, she was told that she will be working with government data. "The word 'government' made the job seem legit to me and my husband", she said. Ragini paid the security deposit of ₹8,000 and work officially started for her within a week.

She was given documents pertaining to legal cases or accounts and records of transactions between factories across the country. After working diligently for a month, Ragini was looking forward to the payout, which stood at ₹44,000 for 22 days of working.

When she called the number three days after the supposed date of receiving the payment, she was informed that there was some problem with the data she submitted and will receive further updates in 24 hours. "They didn't give any updates. I kept calling, and after a week, I received a call from an unknown number. They said that I had entered digits wrong at three places which put their company at stake. They demanded ₹50,000 from me as compensation", she stated.

Not only was Ragini duped of the security deposit, but she also wasted all her time working diligently. Moreover, the mental stress of the episode made Ragini take a break from employment for eight months.

Friends of Ragini, who also joined the 'work-from-home' job assignment, were duped of their security deposits and a month's hard work. One of them, who was asked to pay ₹5,000 as compensation, made the payment in the hope of receiving the monthly payout. Two others received calls repeatedly throughout the day for compensation.

Mohammad Shaikh, a social activist, who has been saving college youth in Pune from falling prey to such scams, told The Logical Indian, "Those aware know not to pay the compensation. But the vulnerable do not. They will make the payment. So, these scammers, they will either take the security deposit and disappear, or they will get the assignments completed – if the assignments are legit, or they will pressure the employee into paying the compensation, post which the employee himself will quit".

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