INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: The city has seen a sharp rise in job or task scams this year with scammers "taking advantage of the cost-of-living crisis and
targeting people looking to supplement their income"
The most common modus operandi involves rewarding victims per task, gaining their trust and finally luring them to invest a certain sum in
the company to ensure they keep earning more.The Mumbai cyber crime report shows the scam numbers multiplied in the first 10 months of 2023
with 362 people falling prey to it compared with 119 and 106 in 2021 and 2022, respectively.The report said city police have managed to
solve just 51 of the 362 cases in 2023
The detection rate was a meagre 10.9% in 2021 which dropped to 5.7% in 2022
A total of 170 accused were arrested between 2021 and 2023, including 99 held this year.A police official said these scams usually begin
with an unsolicited message, most commonly on WhatsApp or Telegram, offering a job opportunity
It offers a work-from-home option, flexible hours and requires no experience
Some victims may have previously filled applications on duplicate portals of legitimate job websites and so such messages may not be
unexpected.In September, MIDC police arrested six persons in a task or part-time job fraud in which a 27-year-old account manager was duped
After scanning at least 14 mobile phones, nine SIM cards and gathering details of 12 bank accounts, police found that the six arrested from
Palghar district were part of an online fraud racket operated by a mastermind based in Dubai
In July, a 19-year-old final-year BCom student became the latest victim of the fraud after he lost Rs 2.7 lakh; he had saved it up from his
pocket money over 2.5 years for any emergency
He received a message on his WhatsApp number with a message that read: "I am from HR of a Media Company
You can earn Rs3000 to Rs30000 per day"
The scammers first asked him to complete a task of searching for a photograph
Once done, he received Rs 150 into his bank account, said a Kherwadi police official.A senior IPS officer said, "The victim is initially
assigned simple tasks such as liking YouTube videos, rating them, or giving reviews for a small commission
Next, the fraudster encourages the victim to do bigger tasks and invest to earn higher returns." Cyber expert Ritesh Bhatia said,
"Fraudsters employ enticing tactics, offering individuals a quick reward of Rs 150-200 in a matter of seconds."
