WITH the increasing use of technology, more and more people are looking for online jobs. I recently joined a Facebook group related to online home-based work and have been bombarded with more than 50 job posts every day. Most of them appear tempting, especially to housewives or students who have little or no professional experience, as they promise to offer up to Rs50,000 monthly income without requiring any particular skill, experience or investment.

However, they are utter swindlers who seek personal details when a person clicks the link and then demand registration fee of Rs2,000 to Rs8,000 for getting the job.

Thankfully, I was able to identify the scam as no international freelance platform demands registration fee to provide online job opportunities. But I wonder how many naïve people would have fallen prey to them and would have lost their money to these online scammers. As the pandemic continues to grip the country, the relevant authorities must investigate this chicanery and take legal action against the individuals involved in such scams.

Name withheld on request

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2021