murano software scam: reviews and complaints by users

What is Murano Software?

Murano Software claims to be a software development company based in India that provides Python development and site reliability engineering services. However, there seems to be very little credible information available about the company online.

When potential job seekers or customers try looking up the company website or reviews, they are faced with an unusual payment request of $5 as a deposit along with document uploads before any information is shared. This has led many to believe that Murano Software could be operating a scam.

Let’s take a deeper look at the complaints and experiences shared by users to understand if Murano Software should be considered a legitimate opportunity or approached with caution.

Online presence and verification issues

One of the major red flags with Murano Software is the lack of online presence and verifiability. A simple Google search brings up almost no credible third party information about the company.

Their claimed website doesn’t have detailed company profiles, service portfolio pages, client testimonials or case studies – elements that are standard for any reputed B2B software consultancy.

User reviews on sites like Glassdoor are scarce or unverified. Searching mainstream professional networks like LinkedIn does not show profiles of actual employees working at Murano Software either.

This indicates the company has not put in efforts to build online credibility that could help users conduct basic due diligence checks before sharing sensitive personal or financial information.

The unusual payment request during initial access itself without sharing any transparent company details understandably raises skepticism in users’ minds about Murano Software being a possible employment or business scam.

Complaints on scam job postings

One of the major complaints against Murano Software is that they could be posting fake job openings to collect candidature documents and payments from gullible unemployed individuals but never actually hiring anyone.

For example, many have reported going through multiple online tests and assessment rounds only to never receive a job offer. Or receiving vague commitment emails asking for money/documents with promises of onboarding that don’t materialize.

In one widely upvoted Reddit thread, a user detailed their experience of applying for a Data Analyst role at Murano Software. They went through 3 weeks of assessments but were then asked to pay a $200 ‘onboarding fee’ which seemed dubious.

After refusing to pay, all communication ceased and the supposed job offer was revealed to likely be a scam all along to collect payments from hopeful jobseekers without intention of real hiring.

Complaint forums also have unresolved grievances from people claiming they were interviewed and selected by Murano Software but were never actually provided with a job. This points towards a pattern of using fake recruitment processes to make monetary gains dishonestly.

Complaints of unexpected payment requests

Another consistent complaint involves Murano Software contacting selected candidates through emails or internal portals and asking for payments unexpectedly, usually in the name of application processing fees or document verification.

But these payments have no transparency or receipts involved. They often range from smaller amounts like $5 to a few hundred dollars. And no legitimate reasoning is provided for why job applicants needing to spend their own money simply to proceed with a purported hiring process.

In most developed countries and reputed companies, it is unheard of to demand money from candidates at any stage before a confirmed offer letter is issued and signed. This shady mandatory payment culture of Murano Software raises major doubts about their business practices and intentions.

Some users have even complained about being continually strung along and asked for more payments or additional “customs fees” even after sending initial amounts, proving this could very well be an elaborate set up to extract money dishonestly from gullible targets.

Absurd job roles and inconsistent communication

A peculiar trait highlighted by multiple users is Murano Software contacting people for far fetched job roles that don’t align with their actual skillsets or experience background.

For instance, reaching out to graphic designers for data science jobs or software engineers for marketing roles. Their job postings and application processes also seem extremely generic without any personalized involvement.

Moreover, follow up communication from Murano Software is highly irregular and inconsistent. Users have reported everything from receiving multiple phone calls and emails one day to complete radio silence for weeks without reason or closure provided.

Legitimate companies put in careful efforts to manage candidate experience properly instead of such unprofessional behaviors that further raise doubts about Murano Software’s true motives and credibility as an employer.

Attempt at justifying themselves

Faced with growing negative attention, Murano Software appears to have posted responses on some forums trying to justify themselves. But their explanations seem dubious and raise more questions:

• They claim the $5 verification fee is to “check serious applicants”. But serious companies conduct basic verification through interviewing, not collecting money.

• Documents uploaded are allegedly shredded after a week. But no proof of legitimate procedures or compliance is evident.

• Huge volume of applications makes them unable to revert to everyone. Yet a proper ATS and processes should alleviate such issues for reputed firms.

• Users needing money are “not a good fit”. But asking money in the first place creates doubts about dishonest intentions regardless of whether a role was real or not.

Rather than addressing the core concerns of legitimacy convincingly through proofs of compliance, credentials or testimonials, such vague responses end up raising more red flags about Murano Software’s actual operations and goals.

Should you trust Murano Software?

Based on the overwhelming accounts of users facing suspicious behaviors, inconsistent communication, and demands for money without transparency – it seems highly unadvisable to share any personal or financial information with Murano Software until they can verify their credibility through credible third party means.

The complete lack of verified online presence for due diligence, irregularities in hiring processes and general absence of basic professionalism expected from reputed firms, along with complained patterns of users facing unauthorized monetary demands – all point towards a high possibility of Murano Software being an elaborate job scam setup.

Unless and until they make efforts to transparently prove compliance with applicable laws through verified profiles, licenses and testaments of past users or clients, it would be best to completely avoid engaging with Murano Software for both employment opportunities as well as business dealings, to avoid potential monetary or identity fraud risks. Independent verification also remains absent currently.

Approaching any opportunity, especially related to sharing sensitive credentials or money, with an abundance of caution is always advisable. And in the case of Murano Software, existing available information unanimously points to high likelihood of it not being a legitimate company that users should entrust their faith in. Careful avoidance seems like the safest approach for now.