A simple job where you can earn a lot of money quickly and easily? This is exactly the kind of offer that criminals use to lure people on WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. We'll tell you what to look out for when you receive such job offers and how to recognize fraud.
Many people probably dream of this situation: earning a lot of money quickly with as little work as possible. But this is exactly what fraudsters are currently taking advantage of on WhatsApp, Telegram and the like, as the Lower Saxony Consumer Advice Center warns.
Accordingly, those affected are contacted via WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, iMessage or SMS. They are offered a simple remote job with good pay. But these job offers are usually scams, we will explain to you what you should do in such a case.
Fraud: Job offers via messenger are often fake
As the Lower Saxony Consumer Advice Center reports, the scammers' main aim is to steal sensitive data from their victims. The Consumer Advice Center describes an example in which a consumer was contacted via Telegram.
A stranger asked her if she was interested in a remote job. Her question about where the person got her number went unanswered. Instead, she received a photo of a job advertisement. It was about rating hotels on a booking platform.
If the consumer had agreed to this, the fraudsters would have easily had access to her personal data. Because that is what the criminals are after – and their victims’ money.
This is how the supposed job works
According to the consumer advice center, those affected usually have to register on a portal. At first they are asked to solve simple tasks, but over time these become more demanding so that they can earn more.
Later, those affected are supposed to deposit money themselves. This could increase sales and earnings, or so they are led to believe. According to the consumer advice center, it even happens that the money is initially refunded. This is because the supposed employees “are supposed to feel safe – and invest even more money”.
What can you do if you suspect fraud in a job offer?
The best thing to do is not to respond to fraudulent job offers at all. You can simply block the phone number that contacted you on your smartphone. However, you should be careful not to click on links in the messages or open or save attachments.
If you have already disclosed sensitive data, such as your ID card, social security card or your payment information, you should have important documents blocked as a precaution.
For most cards, such as Girocard, credit cards, your ID card or even SIM cards, you can use the number 116116. You can use this number to block your cards quickly and around the clock
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Source: https://www.basicthinking.de/blog/2024/07/26/jobangebote-betrug/
