A job that asks for a registration fee is a scam
By Bhagirath Sheela, founder of JobCatch ·
Already paid, or shared an OTP? Call 1930, the national cybercrime helpline, straight away, tell your bank, and report it at cybercrime.gov.in. The sooner it is reported, the better the chance the money can be frozen.
A message like this
Congratulations! You are shortlisted for the post of Back Office Executive at a leading MNC. Salary ₹28,000/month. Pay registration fee of Rs 1,500 to confirm your interview slot.
This looks like a scam
- It asks for money before you start. No real employer charges a registration, training, security or processing fee.
This is what the scam check in the JobCatch app says about the message above, word for word. The message is an example written the way these scams are written; the names and numbers in it are made up.
How this scam works
The fee is the scam. It is usually small enough to pay without thinking — ₹500 to ₹3,000 — and dressed up with a real company's name, an official-looking letter and a deadline. Once you pay, the next request follows: a "training fee", a "security deposit", a "laptop charge", an "NOC fee". Each payment is a test of whether you will pay again.
The names change but the request is the same: registration, processing, training, security, joining, verification, documentation, uniform, ID card, laptop or kit fees, or a "refundable deposit".
What a real employer does
A real employer pays you; it never charges you to apply, to be interviewed or to join. Companies cover the cost of their own hiring, training and equipment. Even government recruitment, which does charge an examination fee, takes it only through the official website named in the notification, never by UPI to a person.
What to do
- Do not pay anything, and do not share an OTP or PIN.
- Look for the same job on the company's official website.
- If you have already paid, call 1930 (the national cybercrime helpline) straight away and tell your bank.
Questions
Is a refundable security deposit for a job legal?
Genuine employers do not take deposits from candidates to give them a job. "Refundable" is a word scammers use to make the payment feel safe; the money is not returned.
A placement consultant asked for a fee. Is that a scam?
Treat it with great suspicion. Reputable recruiters are paid by the employer, not by you. If anyone asks you for money before you have a written offer from the company itself, do not pay.
Other warning signs: Task scams · OTP and bank details · Penalty threats · WhatsApp-only recruiters · Selected without interview · Pressure to act now · Gmail recruiters · Shortened links · all nine, in one guide