📅 Date: May 12, 2025
📌 Source: Verified posts & reports from LinkedIn
As remote internships surge in popularity—especially among engineering and management students—scammers are taking advantage of eager learners by operating fraudulent internship programs on LinkedIn and Instagram.
🎯 What’s Happening?
Many students are falling prey to pseudo-companies that:
- ✉️ Offer attractive but fake offer letters
- 📜 Provide generic completion certificates
- 📍 Misuse government logos (e.g., MSME, ISO) to appear credible
- 💸 Demand payment for certificates or "processing fees"
These scams promise structured internships but deliver:
- ❌ No real training or mentorship
- ❌ Copy-pasted, low-effort tasks
- ❌ Worthless certificates with zero credibility
⚠️ Identified Scam Companies
The following names have been repeatedly flagged on LinkedIn:
- CodSoft
- Code Alpha
- Prodigy Infotech
- Bharat Intern
- Oasis Infobyte
- InternPe
- Pinnacle Internships
- Micro IT
- Micro IIT
These companies often reuse identical certificate templates, fake MSME seals, and duplicate LinkedIn pages to seem legitimate.
💬 Real Student Experiences
Reports from LinkedIn reveal:
- Being charged money for certificates
- Receiving no proper tasks or evaluation
- Getting ghosted or blocked when asking questions
- Certificates with no verification links or company credibility
🕵️ Key Red Flags to Watch Out For
- Duplicate LinkedIn pages with mismatched employee stats
- ❌ No MSME Registration, GST, CIN, or legal recognition
- 🕸️ No proper website, phone number, or professional digital presence
- ❌ No legal agreements or structured internship curriculum
📌 Case Example:
Two LinkedIn pages claim Mr. Vijay Kumar is the founder of Micro IIT. However:
- Employee counts range from 2–10 to 51–200
- Logos and certificates differ
- No legal proof of existence or registration
📸 Visual Proof
Screenshots have been attached in the official blog post, showing:
- Fake LinkedIn pages
- Identical certificate designs
- Misused MSME and ISO seals
🚫 How to Protect Yourself
✅ Verify company details on MCA and MSME portals
✅ Look up real employee profiles on LinkedIn
✅ NEVER pay for an internship or certificate
✅ Consult seniors, faculty, or placement cells before enrolling
✅ Report fake pages on LinkedIn and Instagram
🧠 Final Word
If you’ve been a victim, know this: you are not alone. These scams are designed to target students.
But now that you're informed, help others stay safe.
📢 Share this post with your classmates and college communities.
🔖 #ScamAlert #InternshipScam #FakeInternships #LinkedInFraud #StudentSafety #SayNoToPaidCertificates #AwarenessPost