Spotting fake job offers.
Job scams in India take crores from desperate job seekers every year. They look professional, use real company names, and target exactly the people who need work most. After today, they won't fool you.
The 8 warning signs
Common scams in India
| Scam | How it works |
|---|---|
| Task scam | Small payments for simple online tasks, then you must "deposit" for bigger ones. The money disappears |
| Fake offer letter | A professional-looking letter using a real company's logo, then a fee for "documentation" or "training" |
| Overseas job scam | Jobs abroad (Gulf, Europe, South-East Asia) for a "visa processing" fee. Some victims have even been trafficked |
| Fake government jobs | "Railway / bank job through backdoor" for a payment |
| Work-from-home typing/data entry | Pay for "software" or "kit", work is never paid |
For jobs abroad, use only recruitment agents registered with the Ministry of External Affairs (check on the eMigrate portal) and never hand over your passport to unverified people.
How to verify an offer
- Search the company name + "fraud" / "scam".
- Check the offer came from the official email domain (look at the company website).
- Find the job on the company's official career page.
- Call the company's official number (from its website, not the letter) to confirm.
- Ask for a video interview with the team. Real companies agree.
Fake. Gmail address and a fee. Large companies don't charge freshers to join.
Looks genuine. Official domain, a proper interview process, no money asked. Still check the domain carefully.
Task scam. Exactly the trick from our Cybersecurity course.
An offer letter has a real company's logo but asks for a ₹10,000 "refundable deposit". What do you do?
Logos are easy to copy. The fee is the giveaway.
If you've been cheated
- Stop paying immediately, even if they promise a refund "after one more payment".
- Call 1930 or report on cybercrime.gov.in as fast as possible.
- Inform your bank to try to freeze the money.
- Save all chats, numbers, payment receipts and screenshots.
Which offer is MOST likely real?
Proper process and an official domain, with no fees.
Your task (15 min)
Share the 8 warning signs with your family WhatsApp group in your own words, and save 1930 in your phone. Then check any job message you received this month against the list.
Lesson 9 complete!
You can recognise the 8 signs of a fake job, verify any offer, and know what to do if you've been cheated. Next: interviews, before, during and after.
Next: Interviews: before, during, after →