Several Bengaluru students fall prey to online internship scams | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: With internships being mandated by most professional courses, several students in the city are falling prey to scamsters offering online job training. Several students complained they were billed for opportunities that never came their way after signing up on so-called internship websites. These websites, frequently shared through WhatsApp student groups, advertise free internships apparently to strengthen student resumes, before charging a fee.The process usually starts with a straightforward Google Form distributed around student circles. A fee ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 500 is demanded from each candidate a few days later. Many claim that after payment, communication tends to get vague, with little or no clarity about the next steps.“Onboarding was lacking, roles were unclear, and there was very little communication other than a few messages in a WhatsApp group,” Nisha Naveen, a second-year student, said. “It became evident after some time there was no internship at all,” she added.Several others shared similar stories.“I thought by paying Rs 450, I would gain experience in content writing,” said Arjun M, a final-year student. “But after making the payment, there was no real work, just a few generic instructions and a certificate template was shared.”Some students tried to follow up, but they either didn’t get any response at all or got delayed responses that made little sense.“Scammers are aware of students’ vulnerability and take advantage of that urgency,” said a parent.‘Always verify the source’Cybersecurity experts advise running a few basic checks before accepting any internship offer. “Always verify the source. Check for an official website, institutional email domain, physical address, and clear contact information. If these are missing, it’s almost certainly a scam,” said public interest technologist Anivar Aravind.“We’ve categorically told our students not to trust any internship offer unless they come directly from the placement cell or faculty. Many scams happen through WhatsApp, where students are added to groups via campus ambassadors and asked to pay for fake training or govt certifications,” said Asgar Ahmed, a placement officer at MCC.He further said: “We maintain a database of verified companies, and in some cases, I’ve personally visited organisations only to find they don’t exist. Students must always validate internship offers with their placement office before making any payments.”Colleges said they do run background checks before accepting offers.“We do not share any internship link through WhatsApp. If a company approaches us, it must send an official email with verified contact details, a website address, and the company’s registration number. Only after verifying these do we go ahead,” said Anil P, placement officer at St Joseph’s University.“When colleges offer internships, there’s accountability, but if students are applying on their own, they must research thoroughly,” said career counsellor Sudha Bhogle.Quote hangers:“I tried to email the organisers, but it bounced back. There were no phone numbers, names, or other traces. It began to seem suspicious, but I had already paid. I realised this was a scam.”— Ananya Kulkarni, student, media studies“I was added to a WhatsApp group that contained more than 50 other people. At first, it felt like something big was going to happen. However, days passed with no work, no updates. After waiting for two weeks, individuals began to gradually leave the group.”— Riya Menon, student— Esha Mayyia is an intern with TOI Bengaluru
