Cyber ​​Security – Postal Police: Online work-related scams on the rise

There are already around ten complaints collected between September and October by the men of the local Operational Section for Cyber ​​Security - Postal Police of what is seen as a new online scam methodology: the job offer to be carried out online!

Promises of easy earnings obtainable through banal likes to be placed from time to time in favor of films/brands published on fake portals or on Facebook profiles artfully created by scammers, are the prelude to this type of scam, which unfortunately involves the youngest, looking for a job. And if this work is to be carried out on social media or on the Internet, the temptation to join is very strong.

The victims are first contacted via messages on social media or via Whatsapp messages from foreign numbers with the proposal of a work that seems tempting, easy, pleasant and well-paid, consisting of watching videos on Facebook or on portals created specifically by scammers and clicking the famous “like”. Each like is paid between 1 and 3 euros.

Offer accepted, the unfortunate victims are first inserted into Telegram groups where the complex gang of scammers operates, and then invited to register on a scammers' portal, providing their personal data. The first reviews are paid promptly, with payments that come from other unaware victims. At that point it is proposed that, to increase earnings, "credits" can be purchased that have an economic value and that will be reimbursed after the reviews themselves.

The system seems to work for the victim because after having purchased fake credits with real money and having put the requested “likes” they see the amount agreed upon credited to their fake account opened by the scammers. The problem arises when they ask to withdraw the money, because at that point more money is requested to release the earnings.. The victim, convinced that everything is in order, makes further payments, only to then reach considerable losses, in the order of several thousand euros, realizing at that point that he has been the victim of a scam.

It is good to remember that Usually it is the one who offers the work who has to pay for the work performance and not the one who carries out the work tasks! Too simple and banal jobs that promise high earnings always result in scams. And be especially careful when identity documents are requested: sending them to unknown people, almost always abroad, carries the very high risk that they will be used illegally to create false digital identities traceable back to the victim.