Puducherry police issue advisory against fraudulent online job offers

The Puducherry Cyber Crime police have warned residents to be cautious of fraudulent part-time job opportunities circulating on social media platforms.

An officer in the Cyber Crime police said the scamsters had defrauded victims to the tune of ₹20 crore in Puducherry. So far, we have registered over 300 cases.

While explaining the modus operandi of fraudsters, the officer said in the “online part-time job scam”, the victims are lured by messages on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram where they are offered online part-time jobs such as liking, subscribing to YouTube videos, and writing Google reviews. Scammers often lure victims by promising high returns with little risk, sometimes even crediting small amounts ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000 initially to gain their trust, the police said

Then, the scammers provide similar ‘prepaid tasks’, promising the victim that completing them would lead to substantial profits. With each task, the investment amount increased significantly. Encouraged by the apparent returns, the victims paid larger sums, believing their earnings were growing.

However, when the victims attempted to withdraw their funds, the scammer claimed that additional payments in the form of service tax and processing fees were required to unlock the profits. However, after payment, the fraudster became incommunicado.

The cyber police have cautioned the public against indulging unknown persons offering products or job openings on social media sites or establishing contact from unfamiliar numbers.

The police also advised those who lose money to online fraud to immediately notify Cyber Crime toll-free number 1930, website: cybercrime.gov.in, or call the numbers 04132276144/9489205246.