On December 6, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs took a significant step to protect citizens by blocking more than 100 websites engaged in investment and part-time job scams. These websites, operated by overseas individuals, used digital ads, chat messengers, and rented accounts for their unlawful activities.
According to the MHA, these websites facilitated illegal economic crimes like organized investment and task-based fraud. Perpetrators employed tactics such as card networks, cryptocurrencies, overseas ATM withdrawals, and international Fintech companies to move illicit gains out of India.
To attract victims, these fraudulent websites strategically placed targeted ads on major platforms like Google and Meta. Ads included keywords like "Ghar baithe job" (work from home) and "Ghar baidhe kamai kaise karen" (how to earn at home) to reach retirees, women, and unemployed youth in various languages.
Individuals, unaware of the situation, interacted with agents on WhatsApp or Telegram after clicking these enticing ads. Agents convinced them to perform seemingly harmless tasks like liking a video or providing map ratings. After completing the initial task, victims received a small commission and were encouraged to invest more for higher returns. Unfortunately, as victims grew more confident and deposited larger sums, fraudsters froze their deposits, leading to financial losses, as highlighted by the MHA.
I4C, through its vertical National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU), had last week identified and recommended over 100 websites involved in organized investment / task based - part time job frauds— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) December 6, 2023
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