Internship Scam
Internship scams often target students and freshers with 'certificate fee'-based programs offering little real training, or genuine-looking internships that later exploit interns with unpaid overtime and no formal agreement.
What Is It
Fraud involving fake internship programs that charge a fee for a worthless certificate, or exploitative arrangements that misuse the 'internship' label to avoid paying fair wages.
When To Use It
Report when you paid for an internship 'certification' that delivered nothing of value, or faced serious exploitation (no stipend as promised, excessive unpaid hours) under the internship label.
Step-by-Step Process
- 1Gather all communication, payment receipts, and the internship offer/agreement as evidence.
- 2If a fee-based fraud, file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the payment proof.
- 3If it involves wage exploitation of a genuine internship, raise it with the Labour Commissioner's office.
- 4Report the company/platform on student forums and job portals to warn others.
- 5Consider a consumer complaint if the 'certificate program' was sold as a paid course/service.
Documents Required
- Internship offer/agreement
- Payment receipts for any fee charged
- Chat/email correspondence
- Certificate received (if any) showing discrepancy with claims
Fees
Free to file on cybercrime.gov.in or with the Labour Commissioner's office.
Processing Time
Cyber crime investigations take 30–90 days; labour department cases follow a similar conciliation timeline as other wage complaints.
Important Tips
- Research a company/platform's reviews on LinkedIn and student forums before paying for any internship certification.
- A genuine internship never requires you to pay for a 'certificate' — real credentials come from performance, not payment.
- Always get a written internship agreement stating stipend, duration, and working hours.