Beware: Part-Time Job Offers Prime Bait for Cybercrimes

Analysis of police data for January reveals a staggering sum of Rs 33 crore swindled by cybercriminals in Gurgaon, with part-time job offers and investment schemes being the most successful lures. Among the 3,519 complaints received, 102 cases were registered by the Gurgaon police.

“Scams usually start with a message from fraudsters posing as HR representatives. They entice the victims to follow or ‘like’ social media accounts or youtube videos, and initially send some paltry amount back to the users to gain their trust,” Siddhant Jain, DCP (cybercrime) said on Monday.

One victim, an employee of Manesar Municipal Corporation, reported losing Rs 1.1 crore to a fraudulent scheme. Offered a work-from-home opportunity involving watching and liking YouTube videos, he fell prey to the scam, gradually investing Rs 1.1 crore between January 19 and 24 before realizing the deception and seeking police intervention.

Another prevalent fraud tactic involved impersonating acquaintances seeking monetary aid. Residents like Sonu Yadav and Neelam from Kherki Daula and Rajiv Nagar, respectively, were duped by messages purportedly from friends or family members in need, resulting in losses of thousands of rupees.

“We had arrested an offender from Meerut when I was SP of Mahendergarh for using my photo on a fake Instagram account and asking money from people. People should double-check the identity and ingenuity of the online user before transferring any money,” the DCP said.

Cybercrimes, increasingly common in urban areas, pose significant challenges for law enforcement agencies globally. Gurgaon police data from 2023 reveals a substantial volume of cybercrime complaints, with 23,356 cases resolved and 600 FIRs registered. Arrests of 650 suspects shed light on a larger network of cybercriminal activity, with analysis indicating their potential involvement in 46,822 cybercrimes nationwide, resulting in losses exceeding Rs 200 crore.