Madison World’s Sam Balsara cautions against WhatsApp impersonator

Madison World chairman, Sam Balsara, recently took to LinkedIn to warn people about a WhatsApp impersonator. "Someone is impersonating me on WhatsApp. Please report it if you come across anything suspicious. Stay safe!" he wrote, sharing a screenshot of a chat between the impersonator and someone who knew Balsara.

The conversation reveals how the impersonator attempted to obtain the agency’s financial details, requesting that the unsuspecting individual send them a photo of the company’s bank account.

For the past two years, ad agencies have been dealing with scammers targeting job seekers. In January 2024, Havas India issued a public notice on LinkedIn, warning the public about fraudsters posing as the agency’s HR executives and "extending job offers via emails, social media, and WhatsApp, in exchange for money."

A year prior, media agency Zenith’s chief executive, Jai Lala, had issued a similar caution. "We would like to inform you that some unknown and unauthorised persons have claimed to be part of Publicis Groupe India entities. They are reaching out to the public with a fraudulent scheme, offering jobs and asking for money while making false promises through chat messages and on social media sites," he wrote.

"We at Publicis Groupe NEVER ask for money when offering jobs. Therefore, we urge the public to BEWARE of this fraud and NOT engage with any such individuals."