Fake job offers and predatory loan apps: how to spot them
Published by LegalBharat ·
Registration fees, security deposits and task-based earning schemes are all red flags for the same underlying fraud.
Before anything else
File your complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. It is free, and you will need its acknowledgement number at every later stage.
In this order
- 1
Verify the company independently
Check the official website, the registered address and the recruiter's LinkedIn history. An offer letter sent from a Gmail or Yahoo address is almost always fraudulent.
- 2
Keep proof of every payment
Save screenshots of the account or UPI ID that received the money, along with the full conversation from first contact onwards.
- 3
Report on cybercrime.gov.in
File under Financial Fraud, and separately inform your bank so the receiving account can be flagged.
- 4
If a loan app is harassing you
Threatening messages to your contacts, morphed images and abusive recovery calls are separate offences. File with both your local police station and the cyber cell, with screenshots attached.
Avoid these
- Never pay to get a job. A legitimate employer never charges a candidate
- Never grant a loan app access to your contacts or photo gallery
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This guide is general information, not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts, so speak to an advocate about yours.