Home / Scams
The scams going after students in India
Six patterns cover the overwhelming majority of what reaches a student’s phone. Learn to recognise these and you’ve covered most of the ground.
The library
Start with the one that reached you
Every guide follows the same shape: a reconstruction of the real message with the giveaways marked, how the scam works step by step, and what to do if it already happened.
01
Most reported by students
Money lost upfront
Fake job & internship offers
A message says you’ve been selected for a work-from-home internship you never applied to. The stipend is generous, the company sounds real, and there’s a small “refundable registration fee” standing between you and the job.
02
Fastest to lose money
Seconds to happen
UPI collect request fraud
Someone sends you a payment request dressed up as a refund, cashback or prize. Approving it and entering your PIN doesn’t bring money in — it sends money out. The whole scam rests on one misunderstanding about how UPI works.
03
Highest amounts lost
Hours of pressure
“Digital arrest” calls
A video call from people in uniform claiming your Aadhaar is linked to a money laundering case. You’re told you’re under “digital arrest”, must stay on camera, and must not tell your parents. None of that is a real thing.
04
Bank account emptied
Very common
OTP & KYC phishing
“Your account will be blocked today — update your KYC.” The link goes to a page that looks like your bank but isn’t. Then someone calls, sounding helpful, and asks you to read out the OTP that just arrived.
05
Most under-reported
Support available
Sextortion & video-call blackmail
A friendly stranger, a video call within minutes, then a demand for money and a threat to send a recording to your contacts. It is extortion, it is a crime against you, and there is a clear way out of it.
06
Identity theft risk
Peak around results
Fake scholarship & result sites
A portal that looks official promises money to every student, asks for your Aadhaar and bank details, and charges a small processing fee. The domain is one character away from the real thing.
Specific cases
Recent scams, organised by type
Shorter write-ups of individual cases as they come in, grouped under the pattern they belong to. This section grows over time — start with the category that matches what reached you.
Job & Internship Scams
Fake offers, registration fees and bogus HR.
UPI & Payment Fraud
Collect requests, QR tricks and PIN misuse.
OTP & Phishing
Fake bank messages and lookalike sites.
Digital Arrest & Fake Police
Fake officers, warrants and “verification” transfers.
Sextortion & Blackmail
Video-call traps and threats to your contacts.
Scholarship & Result Scams
Lookalike portals and fee-charging schemes.
Loan App & Investment Scams
Predatory lending apps and fake returns.
Marketplace & Delivery Scams
Resale fraud, fake couriers and delivery OTPs.
Recently added
Latest case studies
No Posts Found! Sorry, but nothing matched your selection. Please try again with some different keywords.
Not on the list?
New ones appear constantly
These six are the patterns, not the complete list. If something reached you that isn’t here, send it to us — reader reports decide what we write next, and it may help someone in your college next week.