'Fake job offer emails smart, specific and almost real'

Say cyber security experts IT companies are worried tooOnline job frauds just got bigger smarter and more authentic A new batch of fake job offer letter emails specifically targets young IT professionals and is being circulated by scamsters posing as HCL and Wipro employeesThe emails promising jobseekers interview calls from these two IT giants carry seemingly authentic employee codes hologram of the companies and even the designation of the persons who have sent the lettersThe mails direct interested employees to deposit a nominal fee as refundable interview security in a specific bank and also include the account number to make it look realBe warned The advisory against fake job offers posted by HCL on its websiteMail orderThe email being circulated offering jobs at HCL a copy of which is with MiD DAY comes with the subject HCL Direct Recruitments Offer It reads The company has selected 32 candidates list for IT Administration and Production departments as well as is offering you to join as an executivemanager post in respective departmentThe email carries the contact details of two people K Rangnathan and Vikas Mehta who mention the mail is confidential and is being sent to candidates chosen from a wellknown job portal The mail also mentions the two are part of the HCL Human Resource Department and includes an employee code ID11538 as well We are sending this mail on behalf of the IT company the letter adds The email asks professionals to deposit Rs 5250 in cash as refundable security in favour of the companys senior Human Resource Department official Ajay Kumar Jha at any branch of the Punjab National Bank The account number mentioned is 7200002466100u00a0 It instructs job seekers to inform the department about the payment made by writing in at hclappointmentdrcomThe mail says after the fee has been deposited the applicant will receive an offer letter with air tickets for the final interview at the HCL headquarters in Noida on August 24The alleged mail from Wipro says Wipro has 45 job vacancies in its facilities in Delhi Bangalore Noida and Pune This mail too includes similar cash deposit instructions It also promises to repay expenditures the candidate incurs during the direct interview with company officialsAlmost realCyber security experts are alarmed at this smart duplicity They point out that fraudsters have created a database and are selectively targeting a specific audience in this case software engineersVivek Vohra a Delhibased hacker who works to protect online security said Scamsters are cashing in on the economic slowdown But they have become smarter These mails are so authentic it is hard to make out they are fakeWorried firmsWhile the emails fool youngsters the companies being framed are worried as well The two IT firms have strongly condemned the mails A senior HR official from HCL confirmed they have received complaints and queries about fake job offers Criminals are tarnishing our image even though the company has no role in it We welcome people to approach us to complain against such nuisances We take such matters very seriously and are working with the police to curb such malpractices said the officialPradeep Bahirwani vicepresident of Wipros Talent Acquisition department said Wipro advertises job openings on its career website on registered job portals staffing partners and through media advertisements The advertisements carry the Wipro logo and the Wipro email IDEven HCL has posted an advisory warning against fake job offers on its official website The advisory says It has been found that unscrupulous individuals placement agencies have been enticing candidates with job opportunity at HCL HCL wishes to state that the company has never charged money for recruiting candidate nor does the company have authorised agency or firm for recruiting candidate