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- October 13, 202618°
- BIST10012,1510.00%
- USD49.34+0.24%
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- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN83,636+2.30%
- October 13, 202618°
Fake job ads turn into traps costing thousands of dollars via crypto
Fake job offers that start with a promise of easy money online turn into a scam scheme that forces victims to deposit cryptocurrency. It was reported that one person lost about 10 thousand dollars through this method, contacted only by message.
Text messages that start with a promise of easy extra income are turning into an increasingly complex fraud chain. Victims are first offered simple online tasks, and then asked to deposit cryptocurrency in order to receive their earnings.
Rick S., one of those who fell for this method, said he was contacted by message and an attempt was made to persuade him with a promise of "earning extra money." Rick said that the message offered him a job downloading apps for a company, and that he thought it looked reliable when he researched it.
According to Rick's account, he was told during the process that the more apps he downloaded, the more money he would earn. In this scheme where payments were made via cryptocurrency, he said he ended up losing about 10 thousand dollars.
How the scam works
In such schemes, first contact is often made through an unexpected text message, WhatsApp conversation, or social media message. The content of the message usually includes simple tasks like easy remote work, app optimization, product promotion, or liking content.
In the initial phase, the established system may even make small payments to appear credible. Thus, the person believes real earnings are accumulating in their account and is directed to deposit more money.
The user is then told they need to invest their own money into the system to continue working or to withdraw their earnings. In some cases, pressure is increased with a fake balance screen, supposed customer service, and success stories in group chats.
The role of cryptocurrency in the trap
Cryptocurrency makes it easy for scammers to move money quickly and in a way that is hard to recover. Once the money is sent, it is often extremely difficult to reverse the transaction.
The report highlights that job scams linked to cryptocurrency are increasing. It is also reported that losses stemming from cryptocurrency exceeded 11 billion dollars in complaints filed in the US.
Therefore, scammers combine the promise of earnings with a demand for crypto payment, making it harder for the victim to back out. As a person invests money, they may think they can salvage the system and be dragged into greater losses.
Warning signs
One of the most obvious red flags pointed out by experts is a job being offered via a message from a number you have never seen before. Real companies do not direct people to jobs promising easy money through random messages.
Another danger is the vagueness of the task description. Phrases like downloading apps, increasing visibility, or boosting ratings may sound technical, but not clearly explaining what will actually be done creates suspicion.
A demand for payment in cryptocurrency also stands out as a strong warning sign. A legitimate employer should not ask you to deposit money, open an account, or unlock something in order to receive a salary.
What should victims do?
If a person realizes they have fallen into such a trap, they need to stop sending money immediately. New demands like "fee," "tax," "unlock charge," or "recovery payment" are also usually indicated as a continuation of the fraud.
It is requested that screenshots of the transaction, wallet addresses, usernames, phone numbers, emails, and transaction IDs be kept. It is also recommended that the incident be reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center system and the FTC's complaint platform.
Quickly contacting the crypto exchange or wallet service is also advised. While reversing a transfer is not always possible, early notification is important for flagging the transaction.
Another method used by scammers is making contact again with a promise of "recovering the money." Such offers are also mostly evaluated as an additional trap.
Basic rules for staying safe
Not taking unexpected job messages seriously right away stands out as the first step. Even if a company name is provided, independent verification should be done only through the official website.
Never sending money in order to receive money is listed as the simplest and most effective rule in such cases. A real job pays the employee; it does not force the employee to pay first.
Conversations moved to private messaging applications stand out as a frequently used part of fake recruitment schemes. Not trusting fake earnings screens and searching for the exact text of the offer are also among the recommendations.
Finally, talking to someone you trust before sending crypto and reporting the suspicious situation without delay are shown among the steps that can prevent large losses.
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