42% WhatsApp users got job scam messages asking for payment, finds survey

A LocalCircles survey reveals 42% of WhatsApp users in India received fake job offers demanding payment. The report highlights rising impersonation and fraud cases across the messaging platform

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At least 42 per cent of WhatsApp users in India have received fraudulent job offers claiming to provide work-from-home or part-time opportunities, often requiring them to pay an upfront amount, according to a recent survey conducted by community social media platform LocalCircles.

 

The findings highlight the growing menace of WhatsApp-based cyber scams, which are evolving in both scale and sophistication.

 

Among the 22,000 respondents surveyed across 312 districts, nearly half reported exposure to scam messages on WhatsApp. Job scams, where fraudsters lure victims with lucrative employment offers but demand money under various pretexts, were one of the most common tactics.

 

Respondents could select multiple forms of fraud they had encountered. The breakdown of responses is as follows:

• 45 per cent said they received messages claiming they had won a lottery or access to a celebrity show, which required payment of a refundable processing fee.
• 42 per cent had been sent job offers, often involving fake companies or part-time work, which required them to pay an initial amount.
• 42 per cent received threatening messages warning of imminent disconnection of services such as electricity or gas unless a bill was paid.
• 21 per cent reported receiving QR codes or suspicious links claiming to offer monetary rewards or gifts.
• 12 per cent said they were victims of impersonation, where a fraudster used their image and name to send deceptive messages to their contacts.
• 12 per cent received WhatsApp OTP scams, where fraudsters tried to gain access to their accounts.
• 9 per cent were targeted via video calls that were later used for extortion.
• 6 per cent were sent messages threatening legal action, coercing them to transfer money.
• 24 per cent reported encountering other types of scams not specifically listed in the survey.

Impersonation: A growing threat

 

The survey found that 12 per cent of citizens had personally experienced WhatsApp impersonation, where scammers pretended to be them and messaged their contacts. More alarmingly, 35 per cent of WhatsApp users said that one or more of their contacts had been impersonated for the purpose of extracting money or favours.

 

This trend has serious implications. In many instances, fraudsters download a person's profile photo and name from publicly available WhatsApp accounts and then reach out to people in the victim’s contact list with requests for urgent financial help, gift cards, or mobile recharges. 

Real-world cases illustrate the impact

 

The gravity of the issue is reflected in recent high-profile frauds:

 

A 63-year-old man in Mumbai was defrauded of ₹7.31 crore by cyber criminals posing as stock market experts via WhatsApp, luring him with promises of high returns.

 

In another case, a Kolkata-based dentist was tricked by a scammer impersonating an army officer, who asked for treatment for his father. Instead of making a payment, a malicious link debited the doctor’s bank account.

 

Even prominent figures have not been spared. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma recently posted on social media platform X about an attempt to impersonate him via WhatsApp.

Cross-border syndicates and evolving tactics

 

The Union Home Ministry has repeatedly warned about the growing threat of organised online economic crimes managed by cross-border syndicates. These include not only impersonation and extortion but also “digital arrests”—fraudsters posing as police or government authorities who intimidate victims into transferring money.

 

Scammers are increasingly using international WhatsApp numbers to bypass local scrutiny. Many have shifted tactics from email and SMS to WhatsApp, which is now viewed as more personal and trustworthy by users.

Calls for systemic action

 

LocalCircles has urged the government and regulatory bodies to take decisive steps to curb this rising wave of cybercrime. Suggested measures include:

• Tighter SIM verification processes before issuing mobile numbers.
• Enabling users to flag fraudulent numbers with a single click.
• Establishing systems for data-sharing among telecom operators.
• Implementing AI-driven content filtering by WhatsApp to detect and block scam messages.

The survey results will be shared with stakeholders including the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY), and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

 

Survey methodology and demographics

 

The survey was conducted via the LocalCircles platform and received over 22,000 validated responses from citizens across 312 districts in India. Of those surveyed:

• 67 per cent were men, and 33 per cent were women.
• 44 per cent belonged to Tier 1 cities, 33 per cent to Tier 2, and 23 per cent to Tier 3, 4 or rural areas.