Got job offer on WhatsApp? Think hard before you reply or accept
India Today
Fraudsters are now relying on a fairly new technique to scam people. It involves either sending a text SMS or a message on WhatsApp, promising fake job opportunities
Scammers keep finding new ways to fraud innocent people. Recently, we discovered that some scammers are persuading users to click on fishy links through electricity bill scams. It appears that they have now found the most vulnerable target in the country -- job-seeking youngsters.
India has a young population actively looking for quality jobs. As the economy continues to open up after two years of pandemic setbacks, many young adults are looking at different websites and platforms for opportunities. Hirect, a chat-based direct hiring platform, has said 56 per cent of young job seekers (20 and 29 years) in the country are impacted by job scams during their job hunt.
Fraudsters are now relying on a fairly new technique to scam people. It involves either sending a text SMS or a message on WhatsApp, promising job opportunities. To make the offer more attractive, the message includes details of daily wages. As per a screenshot shared by News18, a message reads, "Dear you have passed our interview, wage is Rs 8000/ day. Please contact discuss detail: wa.me/919165146378 SSBO."
Some messages will likely bear a different number. However, the modus operandi remains the same. The link sometimes leads to a fishy website stealing your data. Oftentimes, it is a legitimate person on the other end, though he/ she will ask you for personal details or demand a registration fee via UPI.
In the case above, adding 'wa.me' before a phone number on your web browser will direct you to a WhatsApp chat. As mentioned, scammers on the other end will likely ask for more details, which you should avoid at all costs.
A similar trick has been used several times in the past. For instance, some users, including members at India Today Tech, still receive WhatsApp messages claiming a cash reward as a part of Kaun Banega Crorepati's lucky draw. Needless to say, it's a scam which we have uncovered.
Delhi Police's cybercrime unit has offered some measures to protect us against online fraud(s). In a blog post, the unit explains, "Cyber criminals target young, educated citizens in the name of job offers. They get bulk bio-data/CV of persons looking for jobs from job sites such as naukari.com. shine.com, etc., and using the details given in the CV phone number, email, educational qualification, previous employment, etc., device personalised fraud emails promising job opportunities in reputed companies."
