Task scam on WhatsApp: This is what lies behind the tempting scam

• Fraudsters on WhatsApp want to lure you into a trap with a job offer.
• The scam is particularly widespread in Germany.
• We’ll tell you how the criminals want to take the money out of your pockets.

Cybercriminals send you scams not only in the form of phishing emails and fake apps, but also via WhatsApp. The grandchild trick is probably the most widespread in Messenger. But now a new scam is on the rise that you have to be careful of in the chat. A job offer with quick money tempts you.

WhatsApp scam: Dubious messages circulating

The procedure is always the same. An unknown number is writing to you. In the last case we have, it is a human resources consultant named Amy. She is supposedly reporting on behalf of the temporary employment agency ManpowerGroup. Apparently your application has arrived and Amy wants to find out if you are still interested.

Last year, similar texts made the rounds on WhatsApp. In one of the messages, Diana inquires on behalf of Avomid GmbH about your professional interest in the company.

A lady named Winona from Universal Hires also wants to know if you are still interested in a job since she has your application. In this case, Reddit user CartoonistPk got involved in the game and recorded the conversation.

According to this user, the job offer will be described in more detail as the conversation progresses. You would supposedly get up to 30,000 per month for optimizing data and could organize your working hours freely. Further details should follow within 48 hours from the “responsible person” via WhatsApp. When asked whether the information could also be forwarded by email, Winona ended the conversation.

Both ManpowerGroup, Avomid GmbH and Universal Hires are companies that actually exist and are based in Germany. These are always job brokers or temporary employment agencies. The websites of some of the companies mentioned are somewhat questionable and sometimes outdated, which is why it could well be that they are fake companies.

WhatsApp scam: This is how the scam works

Although the texts are in English, the scam seems to be particularly widespread in Germany, according to a Reddit post. But the scam is also slowly gaining ground in other countries. The police in Singapore explicitly warn against such attempted fraud. Apple users are also the target of a very similar fraud attempt.

But what exactly do the senders want to achieve with the message? Their goal is not to get your data or plant malware on you. They want your money. The attempted fraud involves a relatively new scam, the so-called task scam.

You will be asked to carry out small tasks for money. As a rule, your wages will be transferred to a fictitious account in the form of Bitcoins. After you have completed a series of tasks, you will finally be given a task that will cost you money and put your wage account in negative territory.

The “employer” asks you to balance the account in return for a commission. A little later you will supposedly get the money back along with the surcharge. This is how the scammers want to gain your trust. But it doesn’t stop at one time and the amounts to be paid are becoming more and more expensive. Since in reality your wages were never transferred to the crypto account, but you pay into it, you could lose a fortune with the “job,” as Refundee reports.

WhatsApp scam: How to protect yourself

To avoid things getting that far, you shouldn’t accept dubious offers from strangers. By the way, we advise you not to follow the Reddit user’s example and respond to the message. If you do this, the fraudsters will know that it is an active phone number and could spam you with further fraud attempts in the future.

The best thing to do is to block contact. An antivirus program or an AI-supported application like Scamio can also protect you from such scams.

• ” Tip: The best VPN providers for more security and data protection
• » Buy balcony power plant: Comparison of the best solar systems