Work from home scams: A rising concern for online professionals.

Posted on: Aug 4, 2023 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Work from home scams: A rising concern for online professionals.

The Internet is witnessing growing cases of cybercrime with each passing year. From financial loss to emotional turbulence, victims are suffering losses and related exertion of recovering the lost amount. One such area where a number of cases are being reported is the WFH or Work From Home industry.

The idea of working from home came into the limelight during the pandemic. It was a blessing in disguise not just for the already-working population, but also for those who wanted to work but couldn't manage to get out from their homes. Undoubtedly, there is quality work available, but this idea has also given rise to scams and frauds. The constantly increasing dependence on the internet demands users be more and more careful to avoid such scams and protect their hard-earned money and valuable personal information. Work from home scam is yet another popular type of cyber scam that many people have experienced.

If you have also read or heard of a job offer that demands payment or personal information, be alert and cross-check before you fall for it. To help you prevent such scams, in this article, we will discuss work from home fraud and how you can stay safe from cyber crimes. Also, bear in mind that despite being cautious such scams can entrap anyone. In such a scenario, investing in a cyber insurance policy can prove to be quite effective in minimising the effects of any kind of cybercrime.

How does the work from home (WFH) scam operate?

Work from home scams feed on the professionals who look for online work. The fraudsters, with the aim to fool you, may act like a human resource representative, probably from one of the popular companies you have heard of. They tempt you by offering popular online jobs and ask you to follow certain social media handles to further escalate excitement in you. Not just this, in some cases, the fraudster may even ask you to make a payment to proceed further, most probably in the name of some training.

In a few cases of advanced fraud, the criminal may entice you by making a few payments in the beginning, in order to gain your trust and prove their authenticity. When you fall for them, they may ask you to join a Telegram page and make certain payments to proceed. Once done, boom! You are scammed. There have been cases where the victims have lost their years of earnings.

Types of WFH scams

Various types of work from home jobs are available online, and many have been associated with popular scams. For instance, you may have come across companies posting openings for data entry jobs, content writing, freelance video editing, survey jobs, and so on. Some of these, especially the ones that are not authentic, will demand a registration charge. Once you pay the registration fees, you are scammed.

Several renowned social media platforms have real-like accounts that post for job openings. They demand you to do a certain task after which you are promised the payment. Once you submit the task, you may either be blocked, or the account may no longer exist. This way, the scammers get the task done without making any payment. Some may receive cheques that only bounce later on.

Scammers involved in extracting bank details and personal information may compel you to fill out the job application form. You may be asked to fill in your bank details and other information. Once you submit the documents, your information is breached, and you may be scammed for finances.

How can you spot work from home scams?

While the online market is full of fraudulent work offers and real ones as well, you still can spot the work from home fraud. Here are some tips:

1. Advance payment

If a job offer is asking you to make an advance payment, be alert! Usually, no work from home offers require you to make payment.

2. Quick money making

Some job offers may look over-promising, like instant earning up to thousands. These may sound quite attractive, which is a red flag in itself. You must not fall for it or proceed before cross-checking the details.

3. Check for practicality

If you find out that the job offer is impractical or asks for unusual expectations, do not proceed. For instance, a job offer may ask you to randomly submit a writing task in the SMS section. It may happen that once you submit, you may never receive payment for the same.

4. Unprofessional behaviour

The human resource representatives are quite professional with years of training. If you are treated in an unprofessional tone, you must not proceed further.

5. The devil is in the details

Watch out for obvious details, such as grammatical errors or spelling mistakes in the job offer, dubious URL links and email accounts or unheard-of company names or offers. If the person contacts you only through Whatsapp or Telegram and does not share any other contact details with you, is surely here to dupe you.

How can you protect yourself from this Scam?

The dilemma is how to spot fake work offers and how to stay safe from work from home scams. Here are some tips regarding the same:

1. Cross-check the information

The very step before applying to any company is to cross-check the company's information. You can quickly check out the details online. There are chances that people like you have been scammed, and they may have posted about the same. This way, you can stay safe and save others from such a scam.

2. Do not reply!

In case you receive any SMS or WhatsApp text asking you to make a call or reply on a certain number for a job, do not reply. Wait, re-read the message. In case you spot grammatical errors, there is a high chance that it is a scam since job offers are well-framed texts.

3. Share no details

The basic idea is to make no payment and share no personal details unless you are confirmed of the authenticity. The work scams going on social media manipulate the victims to provide personal information or make payments prior to beginning the task. So, wait and confirm before you proceed.

4. Report the matter

If you find out about any cybercrime, you must report it immediately. You will not only save yourself but many others too. You can contact the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or report the matter to the police.

5. Invest in a cyber insurance policy

There are different types of cyber insurance available that help protect your finances. You can look cyber insurance for working professionals so that in case you are scammed, you can get compensation for the losses incurred. Not only this, but your insurance provider may also help you spot the scammers and get you justice.

What should you do if you have been cheated financially?

Unfortunately, if you have fallen for any type of work from home scams, you can still try to revert the losses. Here is what you must do if you have been cheated financially:

1. Make sure to break the connection with fraudsters from everywhere, immediately

2. Collect the details of the fraud, including call recordings, screenshots, payment receipts, etc.

3. You must now contact the nearest police, consumer court, or cybercrime unit

4. You must also inform your bank and insurance provider about the scam if you have a cyber insurance policy

Conclusion

Keep an eye on the cybercrime news and government guidelines to stay updated. Staying aware can help you and the people around you to stay safe. Apart from these, you should surely consider investing in cyber insurance for students or any other kind of cyber insurance that suits you the best. In the worst-case scenario, where you suffer fraud, your insurance provider will be there to compensate you for the same.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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