Beware of work-from-home scam! Delhi man loses ₹9 lakh to online job fraud

As per ANI’s report, Harin Bansal from Pitampura, Delhi stumbled upon a social media post advertising a work-from-home opportunity promising large daily earnings. Intrigued, he clicked on the post and was directed to a WhatsApp number of an unknown person who asked him to register on a website through a given link to proceed with the registration process.

According to the police, after registering on the website for the work-from-home job, Harin Bansal was instructed to complete certain tasks. The website then directed him to deposit a certain amount and withdraw it, promising a commission along with the original amount for doing so. This was all part of the job that he had signed up for, as per the website’s instructions.

As per the report, the scammers gained Harin Bansal’s trust by promptly giving him the promised commission along with the withdrawn amount. However, after the victim deposited approximately ₹9,32,000, he was unable to withdraw his money, indicating that he had fallen prey to a scam.

Harin Bansal filed a complaint with the Delhi Police after realizing he had been scammed. The police launched an investigation and subsequently arrested two individuals, Ankit (30) and Sudhir Kumar (45), in connection with the case. The matter is still under investigation.

This incident is not the first instance where scammers have tricked people into parting with their money under the guise of a job or part-time opportunity. In the past, there have been numerous cases where people have lost money after responding to job advertisements on social media. This trend was especially prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, as people looked for more ways to earn money. Unfortunately, this has resulted in many falling prey to online fraudsters.

The methods employed by these scammers are quite commonplace. They typically contact people through social media, before transitioning to messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. Once they’ve established a level of trust, they convince their target to sign up for a commission-based job. After the victim deposits a significant amount of money, the scammers take the money and disappear by blocking the victim.

To avoid falling prey to such scams, it’s important to be wary of messages or advertisements that promise significant financial gains. Always verify and cross-check any information that seems dubious or suspicious. Fraudsters may try to lure you into creating an account on dubious websites, and this could give them access to your personal and banking information. As a general rule, avoid accepting any job offers or investment opportunities from strangers online.