Key takeaways
Job scams are becoming more and more common: be wary of lucrative job offers that seem too good to be true.
All fake job offers generally have three characteristics in common: the salary is very high, the working conditions are flexible and the work experience required is minimal.
Report any scam attempts against you to the relevant authorities, change compromised passwords and freeze all your accounts if you have already transferred money.
Employment scams are becoming more and more common. Protect yourself from scammers by learning how to spot and report fake job offers. To learn more, continue reading the new article in the âHow to Survive Scamsâ ââseries!
Job scams have existed for a long time, but have recently increased due to the significant and lasting consequences of the pandemic on the job market. Fake job offers promise flexible hours, the ability to work remotely, and salaries well above industry averages, all with little or no prior experience or specific skill requirements.
Don't let these unrealistic promises fool you: a real job is not that easy to get, nor that enticing. In most cases, the ad authors will end up asking you to pay a fee that should allow you to take advantage of the benefits offered, but instead the criminals will disappear into thin air with your funds.
Keep reading to find out how these job scams work: in the rest of this article, we describe the four-step process typically followed by scammers and detail a real-world example.
The four-step modus operandi of fake recruiters
Find a victim
Scammers using job scams typically contact potential targets on messaging apps, social media, or professional networking sites. The job offer or direct offer often has three common characteristics: an attractive salary, short or flexible working hours, and no requirements regarding the candidate's professional experience or skills. (e).
The âjobâ in question might involve carrying out simple tasks like booking hotel rooms, posting fake reviews, or âlikingâ products on an e-commerce platform.
Gain his trust
When an Internet user responds to the job offer, the scammer sends them the details of the position exactly as a real recruiter would do. At this stage of the scam, the future victim must pay particular attention to the terms used by the so-called HR to describe the work offered.
For example, the scammer sometimes explains to the victim that they must register on a platform and complete tasks there. In some cases, the platform even includes VIP levels, which once reached offer better pay as well as higher commissions and rewards when others are invited to sign up. The most sophisticated scammers will go even further to make the scam more legitimate by fabricating fake business registration documents.
To give the victim confidence, the scammer will not hesitate to pay them a small sum when they have completed several simple missions. This payment, however, only serves to lure the trapped Internet user, who will be even more convinced that the agreement concluded is legitimate.
Encourage him to take action
At one point or another, the scammer will ask the victim to deposit funds under some pretext as part of their "job", for example a payment required to unlock a higher VIP level on the platform which offers new rewards . The scammer can even push their victim to recruit their friends and family to do even more damage.
Close the trap
During the final stage of the scam, the victim suddenly encounters problems receiving their salary. The scammer will make up various excuses, such as missing tax payments or mandatory minimum withdrawal fees, to encourage the victim to deposit even more funds.
When the targeted Internet user eventually realizes the scam or has lost a significant amount of money, the scammer closes the platform and ceases all contact with him or her.
A concrete example
A user we'll call Mark is contacted by a recruiter on WhatsApp.
The recruiter explains to Mark that a digital marketing company headquartered in London is offering an extremely well-paid part-time position (around 1,000 USDT/week), with the salary paid into an encrypted wallet.
He adds that the job in question only requires basic skills, offers flexible working conditions, and that Mark will only need a working phone and a mobile data plan.
Seduced by the description of the job offer, Mark follows the recruiter's instructions and creates his account on his platform. The recruiter then tells Mark that he must first deposit 500 USDT to receive his first 40 tasks, and Mark complies. After completing the tasks, Mark discovers that he cannot withdraw his money from the platform, and the scammer asks him to pay an additional 1,000 USDT to get his initial deposit back.
Mark realizes that the "job" is actually a scam, but it's already too late.
Let us summarize the main warning signals that sounded during these exchanges:
Mark's first contact with the scammer takes place on an unprofessional channel like WhatsApp.
The proposed âjobâ seems easy and does not require professional experience or specific skills.
Flexible working arrangements allow Mark to work from anywhere.
The salary offered is extremely high (between 100 and 300 USDT per day) for very little effort.
How to protect yourself from fake job offer scams?
Conduct your own research (DYOR)
Make sure your contact's email address belongs to a real company. Scammers generally use free email services like Gmail, Hotmail or Outlook, and some of them even use communication channels considered less professional such as Telegram, Instagram or Whatsapp, and very little used by real recruiters .
Then find more information about the âcompanyâ and its website: if its interface is unintuitive and asks you to register to learn more, donât click any links or buttons and close the page.
Beware of unrealistic job offers
Take a closer look at job postings that seem too good to be true. Job offers that promise easy assignments, high pay, or unreasonable flexibility, or even a combination of several of these characteristics, are unrealistic and most likely scams.
Pay attention to positions that require cash deposits
Employees should never advance their own funds to pay for business expenses, especially not using anonymous, definitive crypto transactions. No reputable company will charge you for any reason.
If a so-called recruiter asks you to pay a deposit fee to collect your salary, don't do it: this is a classic tactic used by creators of fake job offers to trick victims into giving up their money.
Pay attention to the information you are asked to provide
Pay close attention to the personal information you are asked to provide during the âinterview,â such as your driverâs license, passport, or social security number. If a recruiter asks for this highly sensitive information in the first interview, it should raise your suspicions.
Beware of job offers without preconditions
Real jobs, especially high-paying ones, come with prerequisites.
If the position offer does not require an interview, sending your CV or proving that you have some experience in the field, the recruiter encourages you to accept the offer immediately and the integration takes place. done very quickly, it is definitely a scam.
If you have been scammed
Being the victim of a scam can be a huge blow to morale, but the damage can be magnified if you don't react quickly.
Report it to local authorities, block the scammer on the communication channel used and change your phone number if possible. If you have already transferred money, freeze your financial accounts and change their passwords immediately.
If you entered into a transaction with a scammer through your Binance account or believe your account is compromised, report the situation to our customer support immediately.
For more information
(Academy) 8 Common Bitcoin Scams and How to Avoid Them
(Blog) How to Survive Scams: Fake Crypto Investments to Be Wary of
(Blog) How to Survive Scams: The Complete Guide to the Most Common Crypto Scams
(Blog) Binance partners with law enforcement to launch joint anti-scam campaign
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