How to Identify Telecom Fraud?

Part-Time Job Scam (Brushing Scam)

Brushing scams are a common form of online fraud. Criminals typically approach victims under the guise of offering part-time jobs, promising simple tasks and attractive commission mechanisms. This tactic exploits people's tendencies toward laziness and greed. Below are the common methods used:

1. Recruitment Propaganda: Criminals post fake job advertisements on social media, recruitment websites, WeChat, QQ, etc., claiming to recruit part-time workers for order brushing tasks. They often emphasize the job as easy, flexible, and highly lucrative.
2. Fake Interviews: Scammers conduct fake online interviews to create an illusion of legitimacy, making the recruitment process appear formal.
3. Request for Payment: Once "hired," victims are often asked to pay "registration fees," "training fees," "advance payments for order brushing," or other charges to obtain their personal information and money.
4. Order Brushing Operations: Victims are instructed to perform order brushing tasks on specified platforms to earn wages or profits. These transactions are typically fake.
5. Fraud Tactics: Scammers offer "random" bonuses, such as increased commission multiples for advance payments, to lure victims into investing more money. Once victims pay, they are often asked to invest further or pay "taxes" to withdraw funds, resulting in irreversible losses.

To avoid becoming a victim, individuals should remain vigilant, treat unsolicited job offers with caution, avoid paying fees for recruitment, and steer clear of projects offering unreasonable returns. Report suspicious activities to the authorities immediately.

Investment Scams and Transferring Funds to Fraudulent Platforms

Criminals often lure victims with promises of high returns. Their tactics typically involve four steps: targeting, gaining trust, inducing investment, and disappearing. Below are the common methods used in investment scams:

1. Fake Investment Platforms: Scammers create seemingly legitimate cryptocurrency investment platforms with professional designs and attractive interfaces, claiming to offer high returns.
2. Exaggerated Returns: Scammers promote fake investment opportunities through social media, emails, or online ads, exaggerating potential profits to attract investors.
3. Emotional Manipulation: Scammers exploit emotions such as family ties, friendships, or romantic relationships to lower victims' guard and gain their trust.
4. Forced Transactions: Once victims register and transfer funds, scammers coerce or induce them to make more transactions, making it difficult to withdraw funds.
5. Fake Transaction Records: Scammers provide fabricated transaction records or account screenshots to convince victims that their investments are growing.
6. Difficulty Withdrawing Funds: When victims attempt to withdraw funds, scammers may block or delay the process. Once they accumulate enough funds or sense exposure risks, they shut down the platform and disappear.

To prevent cryptocurrency investment scams, investors should remain cautious, verify the legitimacy of platforms, be wary of promises of excessively high returns, avoid transferring funds to untrusted platforms, and conduct thorough research before investing.

Marketing Scams

Marketing scams are a common form of fraud, which exploits people's desire for prizes and discounts, luring victims into participating and stealing their personal information or funds. Below are the common methods used:

1. Luring Participation: Scammers send enticing marketing messages via email, SMS, social media, or phone, promoting giveaways, discounts, or limited-time offers.
2. Fake Prizes or Discounts: Scammers claim victims have won grand prizes, exclusive discounts or enjoy other attractive benefits to pique their interest.
3. Request for Personal Information: After declaring victims as winners or owners of benefits, scammers ask for personal details such as name, email, phone number, bank account, or digital asset account information.
4. Payment of Fees or Taxes: Scammers demand victims register on digital asset exchanges to pay fees, taxes, or handling charges to claim prizes or benefits.
5. Fake Verification: Scammers mimic legitimate institutions, sending fake verification emails or calls to convince victims to pay fees or provide more personal information to obtain prizes or benefits.
6. Non-Existent Prizes: After victims pay, scammers disappear, leaving them with financial losses.

To avoid marketing scams, individuals should remain alert, treat unsolicited offers with caution, avoid sharing personal information or making payments, and proactively verify the authenticity of offers through official channels when in doubt.

Impersonation Scams (Posing as Officials, Law Enforcement, or Friends)

Impersonation scams, as a common fraud method, involve criminals posing as officials, law enforcement, or friends to deceive victims and steal their assets through various means. Below are the common methods used:

1. Posing as Officials or Law Enforcement: Scammers contact victims via phone, SMS, or social media, claiming to be government officials, law enforcement, or other authorities and alleging victims are involved in illegal activities requiring immediate action.
2. False Warnings and Threats: Scammers intimidate victims with false warnings and threats of serious consequences, such as account freezes or asset seizures if they do not cooperate immediately, to pressure them into compliance.
3. Providing Fake Information: Scammers present seemingly official documents or case details to enhance their credibility.
4. Demanding Fines or Bail: Scammers, posing as officials or judicial officers, demand victims pay fines or bail to avoid legal consequences.
5. Specifying Digital Asset Payments: Scammers often request payments in digital assets for speed and anonymity, making tracking difficult.
6. Social Engineering and Impersonating Friends: Scammers gather victims' personal information through social media, then pose as friends or relatives in urgent need of financial assistance.

To prevent impersonation scams, individuals should remain vigilant, verify unsolicited communications, do not trust sudden warnings or emergencies, avoid paying digital assets without confirmation, and independently contact relevant authorities or friends to verify authenticity of claims when in doubt.

Scams in Private Purchases of Digital Assets or Goods

When purchasing digital assets privately, scammers may use low-price bait, false information, and non-standard payment methods to defraud victims. To increase vigilance and awareness and protect property safety, below are the analysis of these common fraudulent methods used:

1. Low-Price Bait: Scammers advertise digital assets or goods (e.g., fuel cards, game cards) at prices far below market rates on social media or online ads.
2. False Information: Scammers fabricate transaction backgrounds, asset details, or provide fake documents to deceive victims into believing the authenticity and reliability of the transaction.
3. Non-Standard Payment Methods: Scammers request untraceable payment methods like private transfers or cryptocurrencies to quickly receive funds and reduce the risk of being tracked.
4. Fake Websites or Platforms: Scammers create websites mimicking legitimate brands or platforms to appear credible.
5. Creating Urgency: Scammers emphasize the urgency or limited-time nature of offers to pressure victims into quick decisions without careful confirmation.
6. Delivery Risks: Victims may receive substandard goods, fake assets, or nothing at all, making it difficult to protect his or her rights.

To avoid becoming a victim of scams involving private purchases of digital assets, individuals should remain vigilant and prioritize using reputable trading platforms for transactions. Before making any purchases, conduct thorough research to verify the authenticity of the website and seller. Exercise caution when encountering low-priced digital asset offers from unknown sources, and avoid using non-standard payment methods. If suspicious circumstances arise, promptly report the incident to the police and notify the relevant authorities.

• Case 1: "Arbitrage" Scam Projects
• Scammers flaunt high returns through transaction records, posing as investment gurus, or build trust through online relationships or friendships to lure users into investing on specified platforms. Ultimately, users are unable to withdraw their coins or funds. Additionally, scammers may use fake official mining activities or similar schemes to entice users to participate. Initially, users may receive some returns to encourage further investment of principal or even inviting of friends. Eventually, the scammers manipulate contracts to transfer all principal and earnings from the account, resulting in financial losses for the users.
• Case 2: Impersonating Investment Experts
• Scammers use terms like "smart contracts for automatic high returns," "interest generation," or "arbitrage" to trick victims into transferring ETH to a specific wallet, promising USDT returns  in proportion. In reality, the assets transferred by scammers are not genuine USDT. Once users withdraw their coins to the scam address, they permanently lose those assets.

Prevention Tips:

1. Be Cautious of Enticing Offers: Carefully evaluate information promising high returns, master-led trading, arbitrage, interest generation, swaps, incremental gains, or mining. Avoid transferring digital assets to unknown platforms.
2. Stay Alert to Unsolicited Messages: Be wary of unsolicited private messages promoting projects or containing unfamiliar files or links. Do not click on them without verification.
3. Avoid Private Transactions: Private transactions lack security and are often scams. Always opt for official trading platforms for your transactions.
4. Do Not Trust Unsolicited Private Messages: Be especially cautious of messages claiming to be from official customer service or staff. Verify their identity through official channels. Remember, VOOX will never ask you to perform any asset transfer operations such as buying/selling coins, withdrawing coins, or transferring funds. Any claims of being a VOOX partner or official representative guiding asset transfers or investments are likely fraudulent.
5. Protect Account Security Information: Never engage in screen sharing, take screenshots, or send sensitive account security information. Stay vigilant at all times.

Disclaimer:

This article/blog/announcement is for informational purposes only. It does not provide (i) investment advice or recommendations; (ii) offers or solicitations to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; or (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Holding digital assets (including stablecoins and NFTs) involves high risks and volatility. Carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets suits your financial situation. Consult legal/tax/investment professionals for advice. You are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable local laws and regulations.