Do Job Scams In India Still Exist – Here’s The Facts

Job scams in India are still a reality. India is still a service-based industry, and generations of Indians have taken up jobs that have lasted until retirement. Even with the internet age, youth are taking up jobs, even if as just learning experiences and with a timeline, probably ten to fifteen years.

Facts About Job Scams In India

According to this public post by Prafful Garg, the Founder of Younity, one crore fresh graduates join the workforce every year, and only 12,000 get a satisfactory job. According to a 2007 report by Urban Age, around 12% of individuals in Mumbai have below-primary-level literacy levels.

These statistics should give the reader an idea of just how many Indians are looking for a job that matches their requirements and education, and the massive market that it is for job scams in India. According to Hirist, 56% of job seekers have experienced a job scam.

These job scams continue with impunity. In the last six months, at least two individuals have registered a case against a man who promised a job in a municipal school and then absconded with the money.

The municipal job scam is an entirely different sub-genre of crime and a more depressing one because the scammers target the most vulnerable people in this one. But the private jobs scam in India is no less, with the targets spending time, money, and losing hope with every passing day.

Modus Operandi of Job Scams In India

• Contact the job seeker and ask for their details
• Ask them for an upfront fee
• If they don’t agree to that, the scammer at least has their personal details to misuse.

Job scammers in India have started using social media as a sort of dragnet to lure vulnerable individuals looking for a job. They no longer need to sift through databases (paid) of job seekers. A simple ‘boosted’ post about a job offer will get them hundreds, if not thousands, of contact requests. The job scam is an evolved version of the advance fee fraud.

How to Stay Away From Job Scams

• Right off the bat, stay wary of any interview calls that you get. Yes, headhunters will contact you out of the blue, but more or less, they will tell you exactly which job portal they got your details from.
• Absolutely don’t entertain anyone who says you need to pay for an interview opportunity.
• LinkedIn is your friend. Many companies and their employees have a presence on the site. Try to reach out to them to find out whether a job opportunity like the one you got exits.

Job scams in India can be as simple as losing money or as unbelievable-but-true as death on the front lines of a war the person didn’t ask for. Unfortunately, these scams are not new to Mumbai or India. In the early 2000s, scammers held ‘job fairs’ in rented places, charged nominal amounts to people, and got them to fill out forms and decamp with their money. In 2025, it’s all become too technical and dangerous.

Of course, there are several ways to avoid such a scam. One of the simplest and free steps is to take job searching seriously and ensure that you are involved in every step.

The Vigilant Blog

Covers the crime beat, spreading awareness about crimes, scams and everything dastardly.

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