Typically, the references provided serve the purpose of validating an individual’s background during job applications. They often include names of former colleagues or college professors, acting as a testament to the authenticity of their achievements. Nevertheless, it’s important to recognize that this practice may inadvertently cause inconvenience for the individuals listed as references, particularly former seniors in the workplace.
A Chartered Accountant took to ‘X,’ previously known as ‘Twitter,’ to share that he is continuously receiving harassment calls from private loan people. In 3 days, he received 200 calls.
The calls are attributed to an article assistant who completed her articleship under him a decade ago, as she used his name as a reference for a private loan. This is the dire situation of a professional. These incessant calls have caused him to miss some of his client calls too.
The posts states as follows “An intern who did articleship before 10 years seems to write my name in references column of some private loan and suddenly a person is calling me every minute and harassing, abusing and threatening me inspite of explaining her that I have no contact with that person. What to do?”
Who needs to exercise caution? Is it the professionals, interns, articles, or the loan company? Articles should be aware of where to use specific names. The details of references from someone with a professional relationship should only be provided for professional purposes and not for any other commitments.
Concerning professionals, it is essential to provide clear instructions to interns or anyone who might use your name for such commitments, instructing them not to use your name and contact information.
Loan companies subject not only professionals but also common individuals to harassment. It is imperative that they refrain from harassing individuals unrelated to their business. Additionally, it is their responsibility to verify details and notify the individuals listed as references in loan applications before approving the loan, indicating the purpose for which their names have been given. Without proper confirmation, these companies grant loans, leading to further issues when they make harassing and threatening calls.
What to do next? The immediate action you can take is to block and report these numbers. And if they are calling you through multiple numbers, then file a cyber complaint. You can file a complaint against these people through the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’. Or you can file a police complaint too.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Numerous professionals and individuals encounter such situations daily. The government must take stringent action against these companies or anyone involved in committing cyber crimes. The interns or articles or any one who is in any profession has to know the seriousness of this. It’s essential to understand that the professional relationships should remain strictly professional, without any additional commitments. Particularly, it is crucial not to use anyone’s contact number without their explicit permission in any circumstance.
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