Fake Job Offer Fraud in India: How to Report and Recover Money
By Advocate Ganta Surya Kiran | 19 Law Chambers, Visakhapatnam | Cyber Crime
Fake job offers destroy lives — victims lose hard-earned savings, suffer mental anguish, and sometimes take on debt to pay fraudulent “registration fees” or “training deposits.” Moreover, fake job frauds are rising sharply across Visakhapatnam and Andhra Pradesh — targeting fresh graduates, unemployed youth, and people seeking government jobs. However, the law provides strong remedies against job fraudsters. Advocate Ganta Surya Kiran at 19 Law Chambers guides victims through every step of the complaint and recovery process.
How Fake Job Offer Frauds Work — Common Patterns
Understanding the fraud pattern helps you identify it early — before losing money. Specifically, fake job fraudsters use these common methods:
Advance Fee Fraud: The fraudster offers a high-paying government or private job, asks you to pay a “registration fee,” “security deposit,” or “training fee” — then disappears after collecting the money. Consequently, victims lose anywhere from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10 lakh.
Fake Appointment Letters: Fraudsters send professional-looking appointment letters on forged company letterheads — complete with fake HR signatures and official-looking seals. Furthermore, they then demand payment for a “joining kit,” “uniform,” or “background verification.”
Online Job Portal Scams: Fraudsters create fake profiles on genuine job portals like Naukri.com or LinkedIn, collect personal information and money from applicants, and vanish after payment. Moreover, they use this personal data for identity theft.
Fake Government Job Scams: The most devastating category — fraudsters claim they can secure a government job (police, railways, banking) for a large payment. Importantly, no genuine government job requires any payment to any individual or agent.
Laws Applicable to Fake Job Fraud
Multiple criminal provisions apply to job fraudsters. Specifically: Section 420 IPC/BNS (Cheating — up to 7 years imprisonment), Section 406 IPC/BNS (Criminal Breach of Trust — up to 3 years), Section 468 IPC (Forgery for cheating — up to 7 years), Section 66D IT Act (Cheating by impersonation using computer — up to 3 years), and Section 66C IT Act (Identity theft — up to 3 years). Furthermore, if multiple victims are defrauded by the same fraudster — charges under the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act also apply.
How to Report Fake Job Fraud — Step by Step
Step 1 — Stop All Payments Immediately The moment you suspect a job fraud — stop paying any further amounts. Moreover, do not let the fraudster convince you that paying “one more fee” will release your refund or secure the job. Consequently, every additional payment is additional loss.
Step 2 — Collect All Evidence Preserve all evidence before contacting anyone: screenshots of WhatsApp conversations and emails, the fake appointment letter and offer letter, bank transfer receipts showing money paid, the fraudster’s phone number, UPI ID, and any website links they shared. Furthermore, save the fake company website URL — authorities can trace server details from these links.
Step 3 — Report at cybercrime.gov.in File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in under “Online and Social Media Related Crime.” Additionally, call the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 immediately — especially if the fraud happened recently and bank accounts can still be frozen. Read: Online Fraud Complaint India.
Step 4 — File Police FIR Visit the Cyber Crime Police Station, Visakhapatnam with all your evidence and file an FIR. Specifically, request registration under Sections 420, 406, and 66D IT Act. Moreover, if police attempt to dismiss it as a “civil matter” — firmly insist it is a criminal cheating case. Know your FIR rights: How to File FIR India.
Step 5 — Contact Your Bank for Chargeback If you paid through bank transfer or UPI — call your bank immediately. Furthermore, report the transaction as fraudulent and request a chargeback or freeze of the recipient’s account. Read: UPI Fraud Complaint India.
Step 6 — Report to the Fake Company’s Actual Headquarters If the fraudster impersonated a real company — report to that company’s actual HR department. Consequently, the real company can issue public warnings and cooperate with police investigations by providing evidence of the forgery.
How to Identify Fake Job Offers — Red Flags
Protect yourself and others by recognising these warning signs. Specifically: any job offer requiring advance payment for registration, security, training, or uniform is a fraud — always. Moreover, unsolicited job offers through WhatsApp from unknown numbers are almost always fraudulent. Additionally, company email addresses using Gmail or Yahoo instead of official company domains are a clear red flag. Furthermore, job offers promising unusually high salaries for minimal qualifications deserve immediate suspicion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I recover money lost to a fake job fraud? Recovery depends on how quickly you report. If you report to cybercrime.gov.in and your bank within 24 to 48 hours — there is a reasonable chance of account freezing before the fraudster withdraws the money. Subsequently, police can initiate recovery proceedings. However, delayed reporting significantly reduces recovery chances.
Q: What if the fraudster is in another state? File at cybercrime.gov.in — this portal routes your complaint to the relevant state cyber cell automatically. Moreover, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) coordinates cross-state investigations. Consequently, distance does not protect the fraudster. Also: Best Cyber Crime Lawyers Vizag.
Q: Is a “guaranteed government job” through an agent ever legitimate? Never — absolutely not. Government jobs in India are filled exclusively through official selection processes — UPSC, SSC, AP PSC, banking exams, and similar competitive examinations. Furthermore, no individual or private agent has any authority to secure a government job for payment. Therefore, anyone claiming otherwise is definitively committing fraud. Free legal aid: NALSA — nalsa.gov.in.
Also read: Cyber Crime Laws India IT Act | Cyber Stalking Harassment Complaint India | Best Lawyers in Vizag
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