Email Fraud, supposedly from Maruti Suzuki!!
My sister received a job offer from Maruti Suzuki today. All she had to do to secure the position was to pay a refundable security deposit of Rs. 16,900/-, and she would land up with a job paying anywhere between Rs. 62,000/- per annum to Rs. 20,00,000/- per annum! Seems like a bargain, does it.
Thankfully, my sister smelled a rat and forwarded the JD to me for comments. I am pasting the contents of the JD below:
Some interesting and noteworthy things about the JD:
1. Contact details: The JD mentions address as well as a board number, which is correct and is actually Maruti's HQ address and Board number. So if someone does not actually call the board, but runs a cursory check with the website, he / she might be convinced of the JD's authenticity. My take is, people who are desperate for a job, and many are in current market scenario, want to be convinced, and correct address and board number will go a long way. In addition to address and board number, the JD also mentions a mobile number. So people would naturally prefer to call the mobile number instead of the board number to save time and effort. And lo and behold, the first part of plan works!!
2. JD mentions you are one of 62 candidates short listed, and only 55 will make it. So not only it makes the candidate feel a part of the privileged lot, it also makes them feel slightly insecure that there is a risk of not getting selected too! Makes the target slightly more desperate.
3. JD mentions specific date, time and place for interview, thus adding another layer of credibility. It then proceeds to set a deadline by which one needs to respond and make the deposit so that further arrangements can be made.
4. Amount mentioned is not a round figure, but Rs. 16,900/- which needs to be paid as security deposit. This makes one feel as if the figure has not been generated randomly but has been arrived at after deliberate calculation and accounting for various heads etc. The amount is not so big that candidates cannot afford it, yet big enough to seem plausible - after all, it is supposed to cover air fare, insurance etc etc. It is also not such a huge amount that the candidate will bother chasing after it when s/he realizes that they have been duped.
There are several other indicators, and points which I would like to mention, but at the moment cannot, because of lack of time on my hands.
I am posting this incident for two reasons. First, to make unsuspecting people aware of such frauds - many people take these mails at their face value.
And second, to request people to let me know if they have any contacts / idea about the cyber crime cell, and if they can help me in any manner. I would like to report this, and bring the culprits to justice.
Thankfully, my sister smelled a rat and forwarded the JD to me for comments. I am pasting the contents of the JD below:
My first reaction after going through this JD was this is a fraud. I also called up Maruti's Board number from its website and checked, and they confirmed my suspicion. I have notified this incident to Kolkata's cyber crime cell by posting on their website, and also by sending the email to them. Now waiting for their response / action.MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD (MSIL)Head Office Maruti Suzuki,India Limited Nelson Mandela Road,Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070Board no.46781000Email: freshjobs_msil@live.comTel: +919873128829 (10:00 AM TO 5:30 PM)REF: "MARUTI SUZUKI" DIRECT RECRUITMENTS OFFER.Your Resume has been selected from one of the various job sites we hire from for our new plant. The Company selected 62 candidates list for Senior Engineer, IT, Administration, Production, marketing and general service Departments. It is our pleasure to inform you that your Resume was selected as one of the 62 candidates shortlisted for the interview. The SUZUKI Company is the best Manufacturing Car Company in India; The Company is recruiting the candidates for our new plants in Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai.Your interview will be held at The Company Corporate office in New Delhi on 30th of April 2011 at 11.30am, you will be pleased to know that of the 62 candidate’s selected 55 candidates will be given appointment, meaning your Application can be in progress to the final stage. You will have to come to the Company corporate office in New Delhi. Your offer letter with Air Ticket will be sent to you by courier before the date of interview. The Company can offer you a salary with benefits for this post from 62, 000/- to 25,00, 000/- P/A + (HRA + D.A + Conveyance and other Company benefits. The Designation and Job Location will be fixed by Company HRD at the time of final process. You have to come with photo-copies of all required documents.=====================================================REQUIRED INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS BY THE COMPANY HRD=====================================================1. Full Names:2. Contact Address:3. Mobile Number:4. Sex:5. Age:6. Photo-copies of Qualification Documents.7. Photo-copies of Experience Certificates (If any)8. Photo-copies of Address Proof9. Two Passport Size Photograph.====================================================You are to make a REFUNDABLE cash security deposit of Rs.16,900/-(Sixteen Thousand Nine Hundred Rupees) as an initial amount in favour of our company accountant name in charge of collecting payment. This payment covers Registration, Interview, insurance, Processing & Maintenance charges. The refundable interview security deposit of Rs. 16,900/- should by paid through any [STATE BANK OF INDIA], [ICICI BANK], [AXIS BANK] or [PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK] Branch closer to you to our company accounting officer in charge. Account information will be provided to you upon your response to this mail.REASONS FOR INTERVIEW SECURITY DEPOSIT: This is a measure we have taken to check bogus applications from unserious candidate who applies for job and we send them offer letter and air ticket and also make the above mentioned arrangements in other to give them a comfortable interview and they fail to appear for interview which is a huge loss to the company and the interview becomes shabby and hence we fail to recruit the needed manpower. But with your security deposit we will be assured that our expenses will not be wasted. Please do comply with us as your refundable security deposit will be returned to you in cash immediately after the interview is over at the very premises of the interview.NB: You are advised to reconfirm your mailing address and phone number in your reply. This Company will be responsible for all other expenditure to you at the time of face-to-face meeting with you in the Company. The Job profile, salary offer, and date -time of interview will be mentioned in your offer letter.IMPORTANT NOTICE:Last date for security deposit is 23rd of April 2011. The earlier the deposit is made the earlier your position will be secured by the Company HRD -direct recruitment manager.Regards,Mr. Aiko HirokoHRD -direct recruitment manager.MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD (MSIL)NB: You are advised to reconfirm your mailing address and phone number in your reply. This Company will be responsible for all other expenditure to you at the time of face-to-face meeting with you in the Company. The Job profile, salary offer, and date -time of interview will be mentioned in your offer letter.IMPORTANT NOTICE:Last date for security deposit is 23rd of April 2011. The earlier the deposit is made the earlier your position will be secured by the Company HRD -direct recruitment manager.Regards,Mr. Aiko HirokoHRD -direct recruitment manager.MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD (MSIL)
Some interesting and noteworthy things about the JD:
1. Contact details: The JD mentions address as well as a board number, which is correct and is actually Maruti's HQ address and Board number. So if someone does not actually call the board, but runs a cursory check with the website, he / she might be convinced of the JD's authenticity. My take is, people who are desperate for a job, and many are in current market scenario, want to be convinced, and correct address and board number will go a long way. In addition to address and board number, the JD also mentions a mobile number. So people would naturally prefer to call the mobile number instead of the board number to save time and effort. And lo and behold, the first part of plan works!!
2. JD mentions you are one of 62 candidates short listed, and only 55 will make it. So not only it makes the candidate feel a part of the privileged lot, it also makes them feel slightly insecure that there is a risk of not getting selected too! Makes the target slightly more desperate.
3. JD mentions specific date, time and place for interview, thus adding another layer of credibility. It then proceeds to set a deadline by which one needs to respond and make the deposit so that further arrangements can be made.
4. Amount mentioned is not a round figure, but Rs. 16,900/- which needs to be paid as security deposit. This makes one feel as if the figure has not been generated randomly but has been arrived at after deliberate calculation and accounting for various heads etc. The amount is not so big that candidates cannot afford it, yet big enough to seem plausible - after all, it is supposed to cover air fare, insurance etc etc. It is also not such a huge amount that the candidate will bother chasing after it when s/he realizes that they have been duped.
There are several other indicators, and points which I would like to mention, but at the moment cannot, because of lack of time on my hands.
I am posting this incident for two reasons. First, to make unsuspecting people aware of such frauds - many people take these mails at their face value.
And second, to request people to let me know if they have any contacts / idea about the cyber crime cell, and if they can help me in any manner. I would like to report this, and bring the culprits to justice.
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