Click to play videoMumbai: If you have been job-hunting then beware! There is a group of conmen that is tapping into the biggest names in the business to dupe job seekers and make money.
Two years ago, information technology giant HCL stumbled upon a mail sent in its name offering a job to the recipient. But according to HCL, it had not sent the mail.
Over time, more such cases came to light and companies are fielding queries seeking verification of job offers almost every week. The e-mails, allegedly sent in the name of big companies like HCL and many others promise well-paid jobs.
But nothing is free. In return, the mails ask that a security deposit be transferred into a bank account, before the final interview.
“Basically they assess the database of job sites where the e-mail IDs and profiles of people are available. Then they target mostly freshers and people with six-nine months of experience who don't know how the industry operates and big companies work. The third thing is they mostly target non-metro areas,” Senior VP and HR head of HCL’s India operations Ravi Shankar B said.
These fraudulent offers are mass-mailed, in some cases even marked to 500 IDs.
On average, 10-15 of the recipients respond to the offer and once the desperate job seeker makes the security deposit, the sender stops all communication with the job-seeker and eventually disappears.
Since July, companies have been putting out public warnings. Some have even registered police complaints. Meanwhile, online job portal, naukri.com, has also approached the Economic Offense Wing in Mumbai and warns users against such mails.
“We already have a message on our homepage alerting job-seekers to not fall prey to any e-mails offering jobs and asking for a security amount to be deposited,” Senior VP-Technology at Infoedge Vibhore Sharma said.
In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that each mail had a different sender name, account number and bank. They even gave company addresses that do not exist.
The authorities are still looking for these conmen but when contacted the various banks to check on the account numbers given in the e-mails, we were told they were still operational. Some banks even gave out transaction details.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
 |
 |
 |
|
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.