Government Blocks 100 Websites Engaged in Job Scams and Illegal Investments
The government announced that it has taken action to block 100 websites engaged in organized crime or part-time job fraud following identification and recommendations by the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. In a statement on Wednesday, the government revealed that the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, identified and recommended the blocking of more than 100 websites involved in organized investment or task-based part-time job scams last week.
"Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), invoking its power under the Information Technology Act, 2000, has blocked these websites", the government said. The government said that these websites, facilitated task-based or organized illegal investment-related economic crimes, were learned to be operated by overseas actors and they were using digital advertisement, chat messengers and mule or rented accounts. It said that it was also learnt that proceeds from the large-scale economic frauds were seen to be laundered out of India using card networks, cryptocurrency, overseas ATM withdrawals and international Fintech companies.
The government said that several complaints were received through 1930 helpline and NCRP and these offences were posing a significant threat to the citizens and also involved data security concerns. The modus operandi of these websites was also explained. The fraud starts by launching targeted advertisements on platforms like Google and Meta using keywords like “Ghar baithe job” or “Ghar baithe Kamai kaise karen” in multiple languages.
The primary targets of these fraudulent activities are predominantly retired individuals, women, and unemployed youth seeking part-time employment. Once a user clicks on the advertised content, a representative initiates a conversation via WhatsApp or Telegram, persuading the potential victim to undertake tasks such as video likes, subscriptions, map ratings, etc. Upon completing these tasks, the victim initially receives a commission and is encouraged to invest more for higher returns associated with additional tasks. As the victim gains confidence and deposits a substantial amount, the deposited funds are subsequently frozen, leading to financial deception. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also urged users to exercise caution and remain vigilant, particularly before engaging in any online schemes promising exceptionally
