WhatsApp: Be careful, these job offers are dangerous! | Life & Knowledge

Are you looking for a new job? Preferably working from home, with little effort for a lot of money? Many people have this wish and that is why fraudster networks are increasingly getting involved. Now the Federal Ministry of the Interior is also warning about a new scam by cyber criminals.

High pay, flexible working hours, no previous experience required. Via the messenger service Whatsapp There are currently a lot of supposedly lucrative job offers being circulated. It says, for example, that by investing just 60 minutes of your time a day, you can secure a solid additional income of up to 1,000 euros per month.

The tasks vary depending on the offer. In some cases you are asked to write reviews, in others you are asked to test products or carry out video identification procedures.

Attention, everything is fake! Basically, you can assume that no one who is serious will simply send you a job offer will do.

And it is never about harmless tasks. Because behind the offers is a huge network of cybercriminals, warns the Federal Ministry of the InteriorOnce you respond, you are asked for personal information and financial investments for alleged fees, training or equipment.

In addition, you could even be committing a criminal offence yourself, if the offers actually include activities that are Cryptocurrency trading or transfers, the Attorney Martin Wehrmannwho has been dealing with this scam for a while. In the latter case, it is usually an illegal money laundering operation.

Group chats are intended to create a false sense of security

Particularly subtle: Sometimes the scammers offer their fake part-time jobs in WhatsApp groups. Victims then believe that the other participants in the chat are basically their new colleagues.

In addition, the criminals ask you to forward the job offer in some messages. Simply by forwarding such illegal contact requests via WhatsApp, you can be committing a criminal offense.

How did the perpetrators come to you?

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the scam is widespread worldwide and occurs particularly frequently in regions that have recently been affected by major data breaches. Job applications, your CV, your cell phone number or other data may have ended up on the darknet as a result of hacker attacks. The criminals use this data.

What to do if you have already fallen into the trap?

To avoid this happening, you should not accept any dubious offers from strangers and block the number immediately. If you have already made strange transfers for the new “employer”, contact the police directly or get a lawyer involved. Break off contact, but save all chats.