A recent internship offer, widely shared by a tech professional from Jaipur, has sparked significant debate and warnings across social media. The offer, which promised a monthly stipend of ₹23,000, controversially demanded an upfront payment of ₹1,594 from applicants to confirm their enrollment.
The Dubious Offer Details
Poonam, a techie, posted a screenshot of the offer letter on X (formerly Twitter) with a sarcastic caption, highlighting the company's unexpected demand for 'pocket money.' The document detailed a monthly basic pay of ₹22,500, supplemented by performance-based incentives and a ₹500 internet allowance, totaling a gross salary of ₹23,500, with an in-hand amount of ₹23,000.
According to the offer, interns would be assigned a client and project after onboarding. Crucially, the stipend was stated to be released only upon the successful completion of the assigned work. This condition, combined with the upfront fee, raised immediate red flags among online users.
The Unexpected Payment Demand
The most contentious part of the offer letter was the explicit instruction for candidates to pay ₹1,594 as an “internship fee” to confirm their participation. Applicants were directed to complete this payment online via a shared internship form link. The letter further claimed that upon payment, candidates would receive a confirmation email, onboarding details, login credentials, platform access, mentor information, and internship session links by the end of the day, with flexible joining dates.
Public Outcry and Scam Warnings
Poonam's post quickly went viral, attracting numerous responses from users who reported receiving similar offers. Many commenters unequivocally labeled such demands as scams, preying on the desperation of college students seeking work experience.
“It's a business model. They know that the college students are desperate and that's why they are taking advantage of this,” one user commented. Another added, “The company who asked us for the money how can they provide us the stipend or salary. In these months Real companies are only sending mails with rejection.”
The consensus among the online community was clear: genuine companies do not ask for money from their interns or employees. This incident serves as a stark reminder for job seekers to exercise caution and thoroughly vet any offer that includes an upfront payment requirement.