Why do people fall for task completion scams despite warnings?

Scammers use psychological tricks like urgency, fake testimonials, and small initial payouts to make people trust them. This manipulates victims into investing more money.

How can I verify if an online task-based job is real or a scam?

Check for an official website, verify reviews, and ensure they do not ask for any upfront payments. Genuine jobs pay you for work; they don’t ask you to pay first.

Are scammers targeting specific age groups more than others?

While anyone can be a target, students, homemakers, and job seekers are often the primary victims since they are actively looking for work-from-home opportunities.

What legal action can be taken against online scammers in India?

Victims can file complaints with the cybercrime department via the National Cyber Crime Portal or visit the nearest police station to report financial fraud.

Is there any way to recover money lost in a task completion scam?

It’s difficult, but immediate reporting to the bank, payment gateway, and cybercrime authorities may help in freezing transactions and tracking down the scammer.

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Beware Of Task Completion Scams: A Costly Cyber Fraud

Komal Bajpai

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Updated: 28-01-2025 at 7:29 AM

Beware Of Task Completion Scams: A Costly Cyber Fraud

Task completion scams have recently been seen mostly in cases of cyber fraud. One such instance was a man from Mumbai, who for such promises of high returns for such fees lost ₹10 lakh. It is therefore important for one to learn how these cons are carried out to avoid falling victim.

What Is A Task Completion Scam?

Task or performance completion frauds are employment scams where there are fake employment offers for varied tasks which are easy and promise good pay. The following points will help you to understand these scams straight and in a better way.

Fraudsters pose as representatives of legitimate companies or create fake organisations.
These consist of rating videos, clicking on links or even completing surveys.
They are then demanded for payment from the victims or personal information.

Also Read: Calls From The Telecom Authority of India: It Could Be a Scam!!

How Do Task Completion Scams Work?

These scams are very much designed in a step-by-step operation of conning the victims into parting with their cash or personal information respectively. The following points will help you to understand the implementation of these scams straight and in a better way.

Fake job offers: They take advantage of social media, emails or job forums to advertise non-existent jobs in companies.
Initial tasks: It may involve as basic activities as reading content or giving a like to specific posts when it comes to victims.
Trust building: In some instances, fraudsters may also use a small amount of money to gain the trust of their intended victims.
Request for fees: Employers demand their victims to provide so-called ‘fees’ for the performance of chores or for being provided with better-paid jobs.
Vanishing act: Once they have received your money, they never deliver the promised returns.
Identity theft: At times, the stolen details are employed in other scams that are conducted as well.

Also Read: Scams Se Bacho: Meta Launches Anti-Scam Awareness Drive

What Happened In The Mumbai Case?

A 27-year-old electrician was conned out of ₹10 lakh after getting duped by the task completion case. The following points will help you to understand the Mumbai case scams in a better way.

The initial contact was made when a woman offered the victim a part-time job in October.
She shared a WhatsApp link and sent tasks such as rating reviews and liking the videos.
Scammers have to gain the victim’s confidence first, that’s why they provided the victim with ₹200 for the preliminary work.
A boy was included in a Telegram group and made to send money for “charges.”
Later he funnelled a transfer of ₹10 lakh, but no amount anyone promised to return to him.
Awakening from his scrape, he informed the police and an FIR was lodged under penal provisions of cybercrime.

Also Read: Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC)

How Can You Protect Yourself From Task Completion Scams?

The most likely way to deal with such kinda scams is never to share your details and information for any professional work. The following points will help you to get some better ways to deal with these scams straight and in a better way.

Avoid unsolicited offers: Preferentially avoid any jobs that claim to pay lots of money for very little work.
Verify credibility: Make sure to learn as much as possible about the legitimacy of the organisation before you proceed to answer the question.
Beware of upfront fees: Do not pay for employment applications or wages for performing work or tasks.
Guard personal data: In the same way, never disclose your sensitive details such as bank contacts to strangers out there.

What Should You Do If You Fall Victim To A Task Scam?

Reporting the case at the right time will help you get your money back and minimise losses.

Inform your bank forthwith to prevent any further activity.
Report this violation to your local cybercrime cell or through the help of the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
File an FIR under sections available under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and The Information Technology Act.
Consult your attorney and file recoveries as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Work-from-home/job-offering scams take advantage of people since they guarantee easy money once they commit to a certain task. In this regard, learning the process of these scams and being careful will go a long way in ensuring that you and your wallet are safe. If you are aware of fraud then ensure you report it immediately and seek help.

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