Top Online Scams in India and How to Avoid Them: From Employment to Romance

Online fraud cases in India are increasing due to extensive digitization. Scammers are now using new tactics to deceive victims, not just through calls but also through messaging services like WhatsApp, to achieve their criminal objectives.

Officials of the Department of Telecommunications said phone and online scams have increased in the country since the peak days of the Covid-19 pandemic. But scammers are also constantly adopting innovative ways to steal money from victims. For example, AI voice cloning scams have created a stir in recent days.

As a significant number of Indians fall prey to these criminals, it is all the more important to make them aware of the pitfalls, observers say. So here are some of the most common online and phone scams in India:

Fake job scams

Fraudsters typically post false job ads on job sites or social media. Job postings are often very lucrative positions with less experience. Fraudsters contact people after applying for jobs and demand money for further development.

In some cases, scammers posing as representatives of employment agencies contact people and promise to help them find permanent, part-time or work-from-home jobs. They often demand payment for their services and disappear after receiving the money.

A Delhi woman lost around Rs 9,000 to a fake job offer scam after the scammer asked her to pay a so-called processing fee to secure her status as a content writer.

Fake government grants or programs

Scammers pose as government officials and offer people grants or new schemes. Scammers often use social media, emails, phone calls or text messages to target their victims. Once they successfully gain the victim’s trust, they ask for personal information or money to “process” the grant.

The Press Information Office recently issued a fact-checking alert about a fake government scheme circulating online. The scam claims that the government is offering free laptops to students and unemployed youth. PIB has urged people to beware of such fake schemes and not to share their personal information with anyone claiming to be from the government.

Fake parcel office scams

Scammers send text messages or emails that appear to come from courier services such as DHL or FedEx. The messages or emails say that the recipients have packages waiting, but they have to pay the delivery fee. They can also create fake tracking sites that look real, or call and pretend to be customer service representatives.

One such case involved a Mumbai resident who received a scam call from a fake FedEx customer service operator and Mumbai police authorities.

In another case, the family of a retired Indian Army brigadier was duped of Rs 4.47 crore by fraudsters posing as FedEx officials.

Fake law enforcement scams

Fraudsters pretend to be government or police officers and ask for Aadhaar, ATM and PAN card details of the victims. Scammers may say that the victim owes money, or they are investigating the case and the victim’s information is required, or ask to pay fines.

Recently, people reported receiving calls from the so-called Delhi Police asking for such information.

Fake romance scams

Scammers create fake profiles on dating sites or apps using stolen photos, made-up names and information to pretend to be someone they are not and contact people to build a relationship.

After building trust, scammers often use a method known as the “love bomb.” This means giving victims undivided attention, gifts and praise to make them feel special so money can be easily lured from them.

According to Norton’s report, Indian consumers lost an average of Rs 7,966 to online dating scams in 2022. The report also found that nearly three out of four victims suffered financial losses.

Apart from these five scams, a few other issues have been noticed across the country including phishing scams, tech support scams and WhatsApp scam calls. Additionally, some have said that scammers have called them claiming to be a friend, neighbor or someone their parents know, looking for instant online transactions.

According to reports, the UPI payment request is also a new addition to this scam saga where fraudsters send money to the victim and then call them to say it was a mistake. When victims pay back the money, the malware infects their devices and gives fraudsters access to their banking and KYC information.

However, there are a few ways to protect yourself from these scams:

• Be suspicious of unknown calls, messages or emails.
• Never click on emails or text messages from unknown senders.
• Never give any personal information like your bank account number, Aadhaar or OTP to strangers.
• Report it to the police or a cybercrime organization as soon as possible if you believe you have been a victim of fraud.