Google ordered to remove ads for fake 'pencil packing' jobs
What's the story
The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has asked Google to take down 15 advertiser pages from its Ads Transparency platform. The pages are said to have promoted a fraudulent "pencil-packing" work-from-home scheme. The request was made via a notice dated November 28, according to Moneycontrol. The advertisers, identified through the Google Ads library for public transparency, were allegedly running paid ads impersonating Hindustan Pencil Pvt. Ltd.
Fraudulent activity
What did the ads say?
The ads promised easy work-from-home opportunities with monthly earnings between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000. However, these claims were completely fabricated and used to lure people into fraudulent activities, the notice said.
Legal breach
Ads violate IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The I4C notice also said that the advertisements violate provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and certain sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, intermediaries are required to take down unlawful content after a government agency issues a notice. The notice has directed Google to disable access to these URLs within 36 hours.
User deception
Impersonation could lead to financial losses
The I4C also noted that these listings mislead users via impersonation and financial deception. It warned that impersonating a well-known domestic maker to promote unrealistic earnings could lead to financial losses for those responding to these ads. Screenshots of the advertiser pages were attached as annexures in the notice, Moneycontrol reported.