Users of reputed e-commerce portals are added to WhatsApp groups unauthorisedly, offering part-time jobs to the users with the promise of lucrative earnings. The group admins impersonating the senior employees of the e-commerce platforms are luring the members to join their part-time job program, saying it's an exclusive offer for the members. Police cautioned, saying it's a new type of fraud.
An MNC employee who has been a subscriber of one such platform was added to a WhatsApp group, where the members were offered to perform brand promotion tasks in the form of part-time job offers. Soon, the group was flooded with messages of people taken on board and their testimonies of receiving money for performing the tasks. "They have also shared screenshots showing payment received. Some have even shared to have received around Rs 8,000 in their accounts," she said.
After seeing these testimonies, several other group members expressed their willingness to join the part-time job program.
Police said this is a new modus operandi adopted by cyber fraudsters by abusing brands and looting the public. Since they give out details of the platform, there is a high chance that the user believes the offers to be genuine and loses money. "But under the guise of performing tasks, people will be asked to pay money promising very high returns. People are advised to be cautious of such offers and immediately block such suspicious groups," said Gajarao Bhupal, Joint CP (Crimes & SIT), Hyderabad city police.
