As a seasoned researcher with a keen eye for detail and a hard-earned wariness towards scams, I find it truly disheartening to see yet another wave of crypto scammers preying on unsuspecting job seekers – and innocent platforms like TikTok. Having witnessed the rise and fall of countless scams over the years, I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu when I read about these incidents.
Scammers who deal with cryptocurrency are crafting false job offers on the platform TikTok as a means to deceive job hunters, resulting in one individual losing approximately $8,000.
The fraud was discovered when a resident of Leicester lost approximately 7,620 US dollars through cryptocurrency transactions, having been tricked by swindlers who promised a high-paying job and drained the victim’s account.
According to LeicestershireLive’s report, the victim found himself ensnared by scammers after responding to an advertisement in early August. The ad promised employment opportunities requiring no previous experience. He subsequently applied for a job titled “data provider user” with the company Clickaine, which was presented as an international app marketing firm.
As a crypto investor, I’ve come across a situation where a company named Clickaine, based in the Czech Republic, unintentionally had their name associated with a fraudulent activity. However, it’s important to note that they have publicly stated and confirmed their denial of any involvement in the scheme.
The fraud began with the bad actors contacting the victim on WhatsApp, posing as a recruiter. They offered a monthly salary of up to £4,650 (approximately $5,800), plus commission for just an hour of work daily, with the wage to be paid in USDT. As such, the victim was asked to open an account with the cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com.
In this scenario, the work primarily consisted of carrying out straightforward online duties. However, what set it apart as a scam was that the user had to transfer cryptocurrency prior to each task they undertook. The scammers would supply a unique wallet address for these transactions, which were essential to initiate the task and promised a refund, along with a commission, upon completion.
Initially, it appeared that the victim was making progress in their cryptocurrency activities. They made small deposits, finished their assignments, and got both rewards and commissions, which led them to feel secure, unaware of any potential risks.
To begin with, the initial deposit was £30, but it eventually climbed up to a maximum of £8,000. Once larger deposits were made, the money was never returned. When the affected individual shared his story on TikTok, numerous other suspected victims contacted him with similar accounts, indicating that this occurrence wasn’t unique.
As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that while TikTok’s community guidelines clearly prohibit fraudulent activities, it seems that some cunning crypto scammers have found ways to evade these rules and target unsuspecting users. Last year, a troubling trend emerged, as reported by crypto.news – a significant increase in fake cryptocurrency giveaways. These scams often involve the use of deepfake videos, which can mimic celebrities like Elon Musk, to deceive users and lure them into falling victim to these fraudulent schemes.
On various platforms including TikTok, Facebook, and others, there’s an issue of false advertisements and scams. For example, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found more than 600 deceptive ads that were linked to cryptocurrency scams.
Previously this year, the blockchain security company SlowMist issued an alert about a significant increase in fraudulent phishing links being shared from accounts pretending to be authentic cryptocurrency-related projects on the social media platform.
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2024-08-29 10:18