How to spot a fake job offer in India (and what to do if you are targeted)
A real employer never asks you to pay to get hired. Here are the eight signs of a fake job offer, a five-minute check for any offer, and exactly where to report job fraud in India.
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Quick answer: A job offer is almost certainly fake if anyone asks you for money (a registration, training, laptop or "security" fee), offers to pay you for simple online tasks like liking videos or rating hotels, or hires you without a real interview. Don't pay, don't share OTPs or bank details, and report it. If you have lost money, call 1930 and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. To report a suspicious call, SMS or WhatsApp message, use Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi.
Job scams target people when they are most hopeful: freshers waiting for a first offer, people between jobs and anyone looking for work from home. On the Ministry of Home Affairs' recommendation, the government has blocked more than 100 websites running "task-based" part-time job frauds, and the Department of Telecommunications warns specifically about fake job calls. The good news is that almost every scam shows the same few signs.
8 warning signs of a fake job offer
- You are asked to pay. Registration fee, training fee, a "refundable" security deposit, laptop or uniform charges, document verification, visa processing: the name changes, the request doesn't. Real employers pay you. They do not charge you to get hired.
- The "job" is tasks for money. Like YouTube videos, review hotels, rate products, follow Instagram pages. You get small payments at first to win your trust, then you are asked to "invest" or "recharge" to unlock bigger tasks, and the money disappears.
- You were hired without an interview. An offer letter after a five-minute WhatsApp chat, or with no conversation at all, is a red flag. Real hiring involves at least one proper conversation about the role with a named person.
- The pay is far above the market for the work. "₹30,000 a week from home, no experience needed" is not a job. If the pay doesn't match the skill the work needs, ask why.
- The recruiter uses a free email or a personal number. Established companies email from their own domain ([email protected]), not from Gmail, Yahoo or a look-alike domain. Check the spelling of the domain letter by letter.
- They want sensitive details too early. Your OTP, UPI PIN, net banking login, card details or a selfie holding your Aadhaar card. No employer ever needs an OTP. Bank details are only needed after you join, for salary, through the company's HR process.
- They push you to act now. "Only two seats left", "the offer expires tonight", "pay within an hour to confirm". The pressure is there to stop you from checking.
- They move you to Telegram or ask you to install an app. Scammers often shift the conversation to Telegram groups, or ask you to install an APK file or a screen-sharing app. Never install an app from a link a "recruiter" sends you.
Common job scams in India right now
| Scam | How it works | The giveaway |
|---|---|---|
| Task-based part-time job | You are paid small amounts for liking videos or rating hotels, then asked to deposit money for "premium" tasks. | You have to pay to earn more. |
| Fake offer letter from a big brand | A professional-looking letter that uses a well-known company's name and logo, followed by a fee for a "joining kit" or "background check". | A payment request, and a sender who is not on the company's own domain. |
| Data entry or typing work | You buy a "work package" or software. Your work is then rejected, so the deposit or a "penalty" is never returned. | An upfront purchase and vague rules for accepting your work. |
| Jobs abroad | High pay overseas, then fees for the visa, ticket or "processing". Some offers of IT or data entry work in South-East Asia have trapped people in scam centres. | No registered recruiting agent, and fees paid to a personal account. |
| Chat-only "interviews" | An interview held entirely over text that ends with a request for documents, OTPs or an app download. | No call or video meeting with a named person. |
For any job abroad, check that the agent is a registered recruiting agent on the Ministry of External Affairs' eMigrate portal before you share documents or pay anything.
A five-minute check for any job offer
- Find the company yourself. Search for its official website and careers page instead of using links in the message. See whether the job is listed there, and whether the company has published a warning about fake offers in its name (many large employers have).
- Check the sender. Compare the email domain with the official website. Look the recruiter up on LinkedIn and check that they actually work at the company.
- Call the company on a number from its website, not the one in the message, and ask HR to confirm the offer.
- Read the offer letter closely. A real one names the role, pay, joining date and place of work, and carries the company's registered address and a named signatory. Spelling mistakes, a blurred logo and any fee are warning signs.
- Search the company name with "fraud" or "scam". Other people may already have reported the same message.
On Workafy, open the company's profile from the job page and look for the Verified Employer badge, which means Workafy has checked the company's business documents. Workafy's rules don't allow employers to ask candidates for money, deposits or fees of any kind, so a request for payment is itself a reason to report the job.
What to do if you have been targeted
If you haven't paid anything
- Stop replying. You don't need to argue or explain; just stop.
- Report the number or message through Chakshu, the Department of Telecommunications' facility for suspected fraud calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages, on the Sanchar Saathi portal or app.
- Block the number and report the chat on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- If the job was listed on Workafy, use Report this job on the job page so our team can review it and take it down.
If you have paid money or shared bank details
- Call 1930 immediately. It is the national cybercrime helpline. The sooner you report, the better the chance that the money can be stopped before it moves on.
- File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots, phone numbers, the UPI IDs or accounts you paid, and the transaction IDs.
- Call your bank to block your cards, UPI and net banking if you shared any details, and change your passwords.
- Keep the evidence. Don't delete the chats. Save screenshots and payment receipts, because you will need them for the complaint.
How to find genuine jobs safely
- Apply through company websites and job platforms that check employers, not through numbers shared in WhatsApp or Telegram groups.
- Expect a real process: a call or interview with a named person, questions about your skills, and an offer letter that states your role and pay.
- Share Aadhaar, PAN and bank details only after you have joined, and only with the employer's HR team.
- If something feels off, pause and ask a friend, a family member or a former teacher to look at the offer with you.
Read next: the resume format recruiters in India shortlist and how to negotiate salary once you have a real offer. When you are ready, browse jobs on Workafy and read our safety advice for job seekers.
Sources
- Department of Telecommunications, Sanchar Saathi: "Beware of Fake Job Calls" advisory
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the 1930 cybercrime helpline
- ThePrint: Over 100 job-fraud websites blocked on MHA's recommendation (December 2023)
- Ministry of External Affairs: eMigrate portal for registered overseas recruiting agents
- Gujarat Police Cyber Centre of Excellence: awareness guide on fake jobs abroad that lead to scam centres (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to pay a fee to get a job in India?
No. Genuine employers do not charge candidates a registration, training, laptop, uniform or security fee. If anyone asks you to pay to get hired, treat it as a scam, stop replying and report it.
Where do I report a fake job offer in India?
If you have lost money or shared bank details, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 straight away and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. If you only received a suspicious call, SMS or WhatsApp message, report it through Chakshu on the Sanchar Saathi portal or app.
Are "like and earn" or hotel review part-time jobs real?
No. Being paid to like videos, follow pages or rate hotels is a known scam. Small early payments build your trust, then you are asked to deposit money to unlock bigger tasks, and that money is lost.
How can I check whether an offer letter is genuine?
Find the company's official website yourself, check that the sender's email uses the company's own domain, and call HR on a number listed on the official website to confirm the offer. Any fee mentioned in the letter means it is fake.
