Fraudulent companies on LinkedIn and Instagram ask students to pay ₹500–₹5,000 as registration or background check fees for internships that do not exist. Here is how to verify any offer in under 5 minutes.
What Is This Scam?
Fake companies post professional internship listings on LinkedIn, Internshala, and Instagram. After a quick WhatsApp "interview", students receive an offer letter and are asked to pay a fee before joining. No legitimate company ever charges interns to join.
How It Works
- 1Student applies to a listing on LinkedIn or Internshala.
- 2Receives a quick interview via WhatsApp or Google Forms.
- 3Gets a professional-looking offer letter within hours.
- 4Asked to pay a registration fee or training kit cost via UPI.
- 5After payment, communication stops completely.
⚠ Red Flags to Watch For
- Any request for upfront payment before joining
- Offer letter arrives within hours with no proper interview
- Company has no verifiable LinkedIn presence or registered address
- Email ID is Gmail or Yahoo instead of a company domain
- Unusually high stipend promises for freshers
What to Do If You Are Targeted
Stop all communication immediately. Verify the company on the MCA21 portal at mca.gov.in. Report the listing on the job portal. File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in and call 1930 if you have already paid.
✅ Stay Safe Checklist
- Search the company on MCA portal at mca.gov.in before accepting any offer
- Legitimate companies never charge candidates to join
- Verify the interviewer on LinkedIn — do they have a real profile?
- Search the company name plus the word scam on Google
- Call the company on a number found independently, not one they gave you