Labs team has uncovered a new fraudulent scheme, in which criminals send messages from an unknown number, often with the code of an African country, promising to pay for likes on social media platforms.
Bitdefender experts have participated in this scheme and discovered that scammers request personal information, including WhatsApp number, age, profession, full name, and bank account number, before asking victims to put and sign. Similar job announcements were also found in Facebook groups, offering remote work or high payment for likes and subscriptions on YouTube channels.
The researchers were instructed to upload three videos on YouTube and send screenshots as evidence. After that, the victims are asked to subscribe to a Telegram channel and discuss payment details with the administrator. Once the necessary data is provided, the researchers receive a reward of 30 Ron (Ronin) (approximately $6.50). The fraudsters promise daily tasks as well.
During the second phase of the fraud, after the victim joins the Telegram channel, they are invited to a VIP group to perform higher-paid tasks. Access to this group requires a fee ranging from $21.66 to $1,083. Once the payment is made, scammers block the victim’s number and cease all communication. The Telegram channel publishes screenshots of payments to other victims in order to establish trust among new subscribers.
Fraudsters claim that users can earn 30 Ron by liking three videos, and can potentially earn anywhere from 200 to over 2,000 Ron per day. One of the introductions to the fraud scheme presented itself as follows (translated from Romanian): “We are a global multinational company, currently working as a social media team to increase the visibility of YouTube stars. We pay for YouTube videos. To receive a salary of 30 Ron, we require you to fill out a form.”
Bitdefender clarified that this is not the first time that fraud has been presented as an easy way to make money. However, this time the victims actually receive payment, which is a highly successful tactic as it creates a sense of trust and convinces users to pay for their participation in the VIP channel, believing that they can make easy money by completing simple tasks like uploading YouTube videos.
It is important to remember that there is no such thing as easy money. To avoid falling victim to such scams, it is crucial to be cautious of recruiters who require high payments for simple tasks, such as watching videos or liking content on YouTube. Additionally, users should be wary of those who encourage the download of Telegram or demand upfront fees for access to additional opportunities.
* META and its