A shortened link in a job message
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
Fill your joining form and upload Aadhaar and PAN here: bit.ly/joining-form-hr to complete onboarding.
Be careful with this one
- It uses a shortened link that hides where it goes.
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
A shortened link (bit.ly, tinyurl and the like) hides the real address until you open it. In job scams it often leads to a form that collects your Aadhaar, PAN, bank details and photos, to a page that looks like a real company's careers site, or to an app download that can read your messages.
What a real employer does
Real employers link to their own website or to a known job portal. You can always reach a genuine job by typing the company's website address yourself and finding its careers page.
When it can be innocent
Short links are common in marketing messages and are not always malicious. The risk is not knowing where they lead; open jobs from the company's own site instead.
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
How can I check where a short link goes before opening it?
Do not open it on your phone. Find the job yourself on the company's website instead. If you must, some link-shortener services show a preview of the destination, but avoiding the link is safer.
I filled a form from a link and uploaded my documents. What now?
Watch your bank accounts closely, tell your bank, and report it at cybercrime.gov.in. Be alert to loans or SIM cards taken out in your name, and change any passwords you entered.
Other warning signs: Registration fees · Task scams · OTP and bank details · Penalty threats · WhatsApp-only recruiters · Selected without interview · Pressure to act now · Gmail recruiters · all nine, in one guide