Work from Home fraud – top internet scam in India: Telenor Study

The top three online scams in India are ‘work-from-home’ fraud, lottery scams and fake bank emails scam, according to an internet scams study conducted by Norway’s Telenor Group. Those surveyed who indeed have been subject to an online scam in India, 90% have lost money and compared to neighbours, the amount of money stolen is the highest. Regionally the average financial loss per person is Rs 681,070, but alarmingly in India the average loss was Rs 819,000, the study said.

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“As Indian netizens, we all know that scams exist but to see that the highest amount of money stolen via scams is in India shows this is an area we communally need to address. Telenor India is dedicated to enhancing internet safety,” said Sharad Mehrotra, CEO Telenor India.

Online security is extremely relevant in India where over a third of internet users surveyed have been victims to an internet scam and a further 57% know a friend or family member who had been scammed online, the study said. The study revealed that 85% of India’s internet users are familiar with the term ‘Internet Scam’ and feel open to online threats, with 63% saying they’re ‘very concerned’ about online scams—a third more than those who say they’re concerned with muggings.

While online scams are real, they are equally preventable. Half of internet users surveyed in India feel that responsibility to protect people online is with the government while nearly 60% feel the responsibility the website itself and equally feel a jail term for scammers is the best preventative measure to avoid an increasing online threat.