Online job frauds in Bengaluru predominantly target IT professionals seeking remote work options. Fraudsters pose as legitimate employers or recruitment agencies, offering attractive job opportunities with promises of high salaries, flexible working hours, and the convenience of working from home. The other tactic is using social media groups to solve problems and make money. These scams exploit the aspirations and vulnerabilities of individuals looking for better career prospects. These scams predominantly target 20 to 40-year-olds.
In the South East Division, the total number of online job fraud cases is 260 from January 1, 2023, to date. In all these cases, the victims are qualified BTech/BE engineers. The perpetrators use social media like Telegram (167 cases), WhatsApp (52 cases), Instagram and YouTube links (41 cases). The victims have lost ₹11.1 crore (from the registered 260 cases). Individually, the average is ₹ 5 to 10 lakh loss. This statistic is only from the South East division of Bengaluru and reported cases, hence only the tip of the iceberg.
