The public service announcement states criminals target individuals on social media platforms and online employment sites. The scammers offer jobs in areas such as customer service or tech support, then sweeten the deal by promising competitive salaries, attractive bonuses, flexible hours, and free accommodation.
Once on location, travelers are coerced through the threat of violence and passport confiscation toย engage in digitalย currency financing fraud schemes, like pig butchering, reveals the FBI.
โPig butcheringโ โis the nickname given to scams involving criminals setting up a fake profile on social media or a dating application. Once theyโve earned a victimโs trust, or fattened the pig, they convince them to send money for a fake financing opportunity and disappear.
The fake jobs the FBI warned about get even more grim after the scammers have detained a duped tourist. The criminal assigns a โdebtโ to each victimโcalling it travel charges, or room and boardโand uses the victimโs debt and fear of local law enforcement to intimidate them into staying.
โTrafficked victims are sometimes sold and transferred betwixt compounds, further adding to their debt,โ the FBI stated in its advisory.
The warning from the Unitedย States agency likewise includes a number of traveler tips in order for individuals toย guard themselves: Research the company beforehand; enroll in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP); and keep your family and friends up to date constantly.
Fraudulent digitalย currency schemes are becoming more sophisticated over the years, with California regulatoryย authorities attemptingย to stamp out recent use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to dupe investors and snag unsuspecting individuals. 1 such strategy included a fake AI-generated CEO for YouTube.
Cryptocurrency scams have been on the boost inย theย year. Earlier this year Webย 3.0 bug bounty project Immunefi informed that the number of hacks and scams in the cryptocurrency space hasย beenย growing 192 percent in Q1 compared to last year.
