The year 2023 has been a remarkable one for India, marked by significant technological achievements such as ISRO’s lunar landing, hosting the G20, and the Cricket World Cup. Despite the strides toward becoming a global power, India grapples with the challenge of countering cybercrimes.
Post-pandemic, the shift to remote work has been a boon for many, but it has also exposed the vulnerabilities of the youth to online scammers operating on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Times Now recently reported a disconcerting case of a 36-year-old techie who fell victim to cybercriminals, losing over Rs. 17 lakh after clicking on an online part-time job ad. Job seekers, both domestically and internationally, are being duped by fraudulent job advertisements, highlighting the dark side of the evolving employment landscape.
India faces a pressing job crisis, with the unemployment rate hovering around 7.9% in December 2022, as reported by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The rise in online scams related to part-time jobs is evident in the surge of complaints, soaring from 32 in 2020 to at least 467 in the first quarter of 2023. McAfee’s study reveals that 82% of Indians have fallen prey to fake messages, with scams involving fake job notifications and banking frauds being the most prevalent.
Orpita Das, a cloud engineer, shared a harrowing experience on LinkedIn, where she was targeted by a fake recruiter. The individual posed detailed personal questions, requested an online Hadoop test, and even demanded personal documents. Despite the seemingly legitimate aspects, the professional’s diligence uncovered inconsistencies, including the use of a “.co.in” email domain for a supposedly US-based company. The suspicious recruitment process unraveled further when she received an odd request for a certification course and personal documents. Das’s astute investigation, including reaching out to legitimate employees at the purported company, revealed the elaborate scam.
This cautionary tale underscores the need for vigilance among job seekers in India, as the prevalence of online scams targeting the vulnerable job market continues to rise. As India surges forward, combating cybercrimes becomes imperative to safeguard the aspirations and well-being of its citizens.