Field guide
Job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram: is it real?
Real recruiters do sometimes use WhatsApp, but only after you have applied or been contacted through an official channel. An unknown number offering a job you never applied for, with high pay for easy work, is how most job scams start.
Signs it is probably a scam
You did not apply, and they found you 'from a job portal' without naming which one.
High pay for part-time or simple work: typing, liking videos, rating places, 'work from home 2 hours a day'.
They push you to a Telegram group, or send a link to 'join the team'.
No interview, or a 'chat interview' on WhatsApp only, then an immediate offer.
A Gmail or other free email address, or a company name with a slightly different spelling.
How to check
Ask for an email from the company's own domain and check that the domain matches the real website. Look-alikes such as a hyphen or an extra word are common.
Search the company on its official site and LinkedIn, and find the same job on the company's careers page. Phone the number listed on the official site, not the one in the message.
Check the company in the MCA company master data. A real, registered company will be listed; a new domain registered a few weeks ago is a warning sign.
Safe next step
Do not click links or join groups. Do not send Aadhaar, PAN, bank details or any OTP. Paste the message into the checker on this site to see which warning signs it contains.
If you've been scammed
- Call 1930 (national cyber crime helpline) immediately if money was lost.
- Report at cybercrime.gov.in and tell your bank at once.