[india] Almost Got Scammed by a Fake Naukri Recruiter – Stay Alert!

It was a quiet afternoon, and I was deep in my noon sleep when suddenly, my phone rang. Half-asleep, I answered, only to hear a woman’s voice claiming to be from Naukri’s recruitment team. She introduced herself hastily and informed me that I had been selected for an interview with a company—Hindustan Limited, or something along those lines. Her words were unclear, but one thing was certain: she was in a rush.

She told me that my interview was scheduled for 4:30 PM, barely an hour from the time she called at 3:15 PM. However, before proceeding, she insisted that I pay an amount of ₹2,500 in total. To begin, she asked me to transfer ₹500 immediately, reassuring me that if I cleared the round, I would have to pay the remaining ₹2,000. If not, the amount would be refunded.

That was when doubt crept in.

Why was a company demanding money for an interview? I asked her for an official email regarding the process, but she dodged my request and instead provided me with a UPI 1D8874390254@ptyes, with a banking name Panjit, verified.

Sensing my hesitation, she quickly provided another UPI ID8115441679@ybl, this time under the name Nirmal, verified.

I knew something was off. It was common sense—why would a legitimate company ask for money upfront without any proper documentation? I firmly told her that I would only proceed if they provided a formal email confirmation. Her response was even more suspicious. She claimed that our conversation was being recorded and that I was not allowed to disconnect the call due to company policy.

At this point, I had had enough. Instead of transferring money, I simply sent “500” as a text message. A few moments later, she sent me an email IDnaukrifastservices1@engineer com, instructing me to send a payment screenshot.

Tired of the charade, I finally lost my patience. I called them out, cursed at them, and told them I wanted nothing to do with their so-called job offer. Without wasting another second, I reported both numbers917318368079 and919074587694.

As I put my phone down, I sighed—not in relief, but in frustration. I had lost nothing but my afternoon sleep, yet the entire experience left me with a bitter realization: scams prey on the desperate, and if one is not careful, even the most logical minds can be deceived.

I knew I had done the right thing. No genuine employer asks for money upfront. A real opportunity never comes with a price tag. And most importantly, no company would ever threaten a candidate into compliance.

I had lost nothing, except my peace for the afternoon—but I had gained a lesson that would stay with me forever.