In an era where remote work is on the rise, job seekers are increasingly falling prey to a cunning scam – the WhatsApp Job Scam. This article aims to dissect the intricacies of this fraudulent scheme, shedding light on its operation, scale, and the steps victims can take to recover. Stay informed and protect yourself from becoming the next target.
Table of contents
WhatsApp Crypto Job Scam Overview
How It Begins
The scam usually kicks off with a message, often via WhatsApp or iMessage, promising enticing work-from-home opportunities. The offers, though varied, share a common thread – flexible hours, a female hiring manager (Angel or Amanda), and wages up to $400 per hour, paid in cryptocurrency like Tether.
Message sounds like:
Nice to meet you, hope you are well. I’m from Skyword | a US-based content marketing company, and my name is Angel. The reason of the text today is, actually we are offering a Freelancing work from home which can give you from $100 to $400 a day.
The Work is very simple, and NO company pays for this job, because it’s FAKE, but please read on:
We work with various eBay merchants and brands. In order to improve their product exposure and ranking, the brands need our help. We send their product links to our work channel, and then everyone works together to put the products into our eBay’s shopping cart, according to the big data algorithm, this operation will increase the product’s exposure and demand. This is our job.
Your role is simple , you need to add given items into your eBay cart and provide me with screenshot. In return, our company will pay you on a daily basis. We only deal with stores that provide good offers. You will be getting $5-20 for each task.
Do you have any questions about this? If not, I will now offer you a trial assignment to familiarise yourself with the process.
You will be paid 5-20 USDT.
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The Deceptive Training Week
Responding to the initial message leads to more details about a training week. Simple tasks, such as clicking buttons or watching videos, promise small earnings. Victims see these earnings accumulating in a fake platform. After a week, the fraudsters request funds to “unlock” bonuses, leading victims down a rabbit hole of deception.
All other work moves to Telegram, known for anonymity and fraudulent activities.
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Everything move to Telegram
At first you are doing simple jobs, by adding products to Your ebay cart and making print screens. ( Also some other twist is to add youtube channels to your subscriber list).
This is looking like this:
After doing some task’s you can collect some USDT money to your Tether account. But after several easy task they asked you to do VIP tasks, like to invest your money and get back 30% or more on your investment in several minutes. You can see Task below:
If you select to do VIP task, you forward to someone else profile, to guide you. Looks like this:
Matilda R Harper, [1/5/2024 7:51 PM]
You can get a good reward after completing what I said. If you don’t understand anything about the process, you can consult me.
Matilda R Harper, [1/5/2024 7:51 PM]
We have signed a compensation agreement with the merchant. If you complete the order and the merchant does not pay you, we will bear everything. If any losses occur during the mission, the company will fully compensate
Matilda R Harper, [1/5/2024 7:51 PM]
Please note: During the click period, it is prohibited to send the click plan informed by the teacher to a third party, and it is prohibited to accept other activities. During the event, you cannot accept order tasks. After completing the prepaid tasks, go to the receptionist to remove the restriction.
Matilda R Harper, [1/5/2024 7:51 PM]
Please read the above information carefully, finish reading and then reply OK
You just go to scam site called: https://usdzll.top – scam crypto site, or Kryll.life etc all of them ar Scam sites, they creating new ones in several month’s.
Scam investment site list:
- usdzll.org
- usdzll.top
- usdzll.biz
- Kryll.life
Do some “investment” to gain trust. You get back your small amount, but then they gain your trust and you invest more, they just ban you.
If you choose not to do VIP task
Then you say you will not do the investment task, they trying to force you to do this by decreasing money for basic tasks:
At first they stated to pay you 5$ per task, then 2usd, after this 0.5USD…
And they try to talk you in on investment ( or doing VIP task’s ) as they say. Task after task, they say they will increase payout up to 30usd per basic tasks if you do investment. But as you see the Investment scheme is very clever:
For more details, please consult the receptionist. ⚡️
✅ Option 1️⃣: 50 USDT cashback – 65 USDT (30% New Member Benefit, can only be selected once)
✅ Option22️⃣: 100 USDT cashback – 130 USDT (30% Experience Group Task Benefits, can only be selected once)
✅ Option 3️⃣: 250 USDT cashback – 325 USDT (30% Group Benefits) Quantity (37)
✅ Option 4️⃣: 350 USDT cashback – 455 USDT (30% Group Benefits) Quantity (22)
✅ Option 5️⃣: 650 USDT cashback – 845 USDT( 30% Group Benefits) Quantity (32)
✅ Option 6️⃣: 850 USDT cashback – 1,105 USDT ( 30% Group Benefits) Quantity (28)
✅ Option 7️⃣: 1,500 USDT cashback – 1,950 USDT (30% Group Benefits) Quantity (14)
✅ Option 8️⃣: 2,000 USDT cashback – 2,600 USDT (30% Group Benefits) Quantity (28)
✅ Option 9️⃣: 3,500 USDT cashback – 4,550 USDT ( 30% Group Benefits) Quantity (14)
Vip task fees are required! Rest assured, your safety is guaranteed!
First to gain trust you invest 50 and 100USDT, and then the stakes rise, and you can’t select 50/100 USDT.
Wallet’s scammers use
0x8347C00cB3390390523CC521690E4dfd5DB3B4B7 – yo can see movement’s by clicking the link – account you need to invest.
0xEf051B982D90B2514208212b39Daf2196d675642 – payout comes from this account.
Scale of the WhatsApp Job Scam
Experts estimate that this scam is massively under-reported. The scam is a global issue, thriving in regions with high unemployment and economic uncertainty. Law enforcement struggles due to the scam’s anonymous nature.
The Elusive Culprits
Pinpointing the culprits is challenging. The scammers operate globally, using diverse numbers and broken English to obfuscate their origins. Organized crime rings are believed to orchestrate these scams, leveraging cryptocurrency for anonymity and making tracking difficult.
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How the WhatsApp Job Scam Works
- Initial Recruitment Message
- Victims receive a professionally written message, often out of the blue, offering high-paying remote jobs.
- Exchange for More “Information”
- Responding victims are led into wanting more information about roles like “optimizing data” or “boosting online exposure.”
- Overview of “Training Week”
- The scammers outline a training week with simple tasks, luring victims into a false sense of legitimacy.
- Fake Dashboard to Track “Earnings”
- A fake online portal convinces victims of their earnings, building trust through a deceptive dashboard.
- Small Requests for Funds
- Small initial requests for funds normalize the transfer of money, preparing victims for larger transactions.
- Requirement for Cryptocurrency Wallet
- Victims are coerced into setting up cryptocurrency wallets, adding a layer of anonymity for the scammers.
- Increasing Requests for Large Sums
- As trust builds, the scammers escalate requests for larger sums, draining victims financially.
- Zero Actual Payments in Return
- Victims never receive any actual salary or payments, realizing too late that it was all an elaborate illusion.
The WhatsApp Job Scam is a pervasive threat, exploiting the vulnerabilities of job seekers. By understanding its methods and staying vigilant, you can protect yourself and contribute to curbing this insidious scam. Don’t let desperation cloud your judgment; be informed and cautious in your job search.
