Earn ₹15,000 per month working from home by typing data or completing simple tasks. These jobs collect a security deposit upfront and then vanish. Here is how this scam works and how to avoid it.
What Is This Scam?
Fraudsters advertise work-from-home data entry or form-filling jobs targeting students. After expressing interest, candidates are asked to pay a refundable security deposit or buy training material. After payment, either no work arrives or the company disappears entirely.
How It Works
- 1Student finds a WFH job ad on social media or Telegram promising ₹10,000–₹25,000 per month for simple tasks.
- 2A HR executive contacts them via WhatsApp.
- 3Student is asked to pay ₹1,000–₹5,000 as a refundable security deposit.
- 4Work either never starts or involves impossible targets to ensure the deposit is never returned.
- 5Company disappears or stops responding.
⚠ Red Flags to Watch For
- Any job requiring upfront payment from the candidate
- Unrealistic income promises for simple repetitive tasks
- Communication only via WhatsApp with no official email
- Company website looks freshly created with no history
- Refundable deposit that is never actually refunded
What to Do If You Are Targeted
Never pay a deposit for any remote job. If you have paid, file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in immediately. Save all WhatsApp conversations and payment receipts as evidence. Call 1930. Report the job listing to the platform where you found it.
✅ Stay Safe Checklist
- Legitimate employers pay you — they never ask you to pay them
- Research the company on LinkedIn and the MCA portal
- No genuine data entry job needs a security deposit
- If the job involves your own money in any way it is a scam
- Check employee reviews on Glassdoor and AmbitionBox before engaging