An increase in online job scam that focuses on financially vulnerable persons has been identified by cyber security experts at Proofpoint.
Known as “Job Schamming”, this new tactic reflects the existing “Pigslagers” fraud model, but focuses on a wider audience by hunting jobseekers looking for remote, flexible work.
While pig separation of the pigs that usually focus on people with significant investment funds, these Jacket winds look for smaller, faster payments from financially struggling goals.
How the scams works
The analysis of Proofpoint showed that this scam is started via Messages apps and social media platforms. Frauders who often occur as recruiters, who offer tempting external vacancies in industries such as music streaming, product reviews and even hotel reviews.
The scam unfolds when victims are asked to register on a fake court portal with the promise of simple, paid tasks. Once registered, the victim is instructed to complete numerous “task” actions, such as product reviews or music reviews, before they experience technical problems that complete the task and leave a negative calculation balance.
To tackle the balance, the scammers encourage the victim to make a down payment, which suggests that this will unlock a high earning potential. This process repeats itself, in which victims often lose hundreds or thousands of dollars on the fake platforms.
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The role of social evidence in scams
Proofpoint reports that Group Chats on platforms such as Telegram or WhatsApp further strengthen the illusion of legitimacy. In these chats other ’employees’ (usually the scammers themselves) share success stories to increase the pressure on the victims.
The fake job schedules have been remarkably lucrative, with some scams generating more than $ 300,000 in Bitcoin and Ethereum in just a few months. Analysis by the Blockchain Company Chainalysis confirmed that funds that are deposited on these scam platforms often flow into more extensive fraud networks.
Some important findings from the report are:
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Fake websites that occur as legitimate brands such as Temu, Tiktok and the Hotel Association of Canada
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High engagement levels are maintained with victims to strengthen involvement in the “job”
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Cryptocurrency portion -analysis revealed rapid accumulation of funds by fraudsters in a short time frames
As a defense, Proofpoint emphasized caution for unsolicited vacancies on each platform and warned of requests for payment under any pretext.