A single click on Instagram, the promise of uncomplicated money, and a WhatsApp group filled with bots – that’s the combination behind the latest scam uncovered on the messaging app. To understand what the perpetrators were after, we followed the scam’s instructions… to a certain point.
Over the past few weeks, several members of our editorial team found themselves targeted by a “task scam.” This type of fraud promises internet users easy money in exchange for simple tasks. Instead of compensating users as promised, the cybercriminals behind the operation attempt to trap their victims, potentially trying to extract money or steal data.
To understand how these scams work – which are increasingly prevalent on social networks and instant messaging platforms – we infiltrated a WhatsApp group used by scammers, playing the role of an unsuspecting participant. Here’s what happened when we engaged with the fraudsters.
Similarly read: Package Scams Raging in France – Everything You Require to Grasp About These 2.0 Scams That Exploit Your Data
A Payment in Exchange for a Simple Click
The scam begins when a victim is suddenly added to a WhatsApp group via their phone number. It appears the phone number was obtained from a compromised data repository. The number of one of our colleagues, targeted by the scam, was indeed exposed in a previous data breach, as discovered by entering the person’s email address on Have I Been Pwned, the open-source site that allows internet users to check if their personal data has been hacked. Within the WhatsApp group, a user claims it’s possible to get paid simply by following accounts on Instagram.
“The task consists of following and liking Instagram accounts that will be assigned to you within the group. We will pay you 10 euros for this first activity, and you will be able to earn more by completing subsequent tasks,” reads a message within the group.
Other individuals, likely fake profiles, quickly confirm the user’s claims, stating they have already received payment for completing the requested task. To receive money, users are instructed to follow the indicated Instagram account, capture a screenshot as proof, and send it to an account on Telegram, presented as a “payment verifier.” Once completed, they are told they will receive payment. The user specifies that payments can be made via PayPal, Revolut, or a traditional bank transfer.
Notably, the group was largely composed of fake profiles, with phone numbers registered in various foreign countries. These accounts are intended to reassure the target, but their statements sound unnatural and scripted. They clearly recite a pre-written text – they are bots. Only a few users had French phone numbers, likely other potential victims of the scam.
Intrigued, we followed the instructions precisely, even requesting clarification from the group and its administrator. After following the indicated account, we went to Telegram with the requested screenshot. We contacted someone named Giulia, who claims to be an “Instagram job offer evaluator.” To verify that the contact was on the original WhatsApp group, Giulia requested an “employment code” from the WhatsApp group administrator.
It’s not surprising that the scam shifts from WhatsApp to Telegram. The messaging app is particularly attractive to scammers for several reasons. First, the platform makes it very easy to create bots that automate exchanges, facilitating the activities of cybercriminals. It’s often more demanding for a victim to close a Telegram account than to report a profile on WhatsApp.
Also read: Scam Alert – Don’t Trust This Email From the Treasury, It’s a Phishing Attempt
What is the True Goal of the Scammers?
After accessing the Telegram account, the contours of the scam became clear. To receive a payment, the target is asked to provide a series of information, starting with data already in the scammers’ possession, such as the phone number. This information is intended to allow the scammers to verify “if you are on the company’s guest list.”
We were then asked to provide our promised payment of 10 euros for following the Instagram account. That’s when Giulia requested our full name and IBAN (International Bank Account Number), the international number used to identify a bank account. While the theft of an IBAN doesn’t directly empty an account, it opens the door to several attacks. Fraudulent SEPA direct debits, through false mandates, are among the main possibilities offered to cybercriminals in possession of your banking data. With your IBAN and personal information, a scammer can also impersonate you and subscribe to subscriptions or, worse, take out loans from a bank.
Of course, we had no intention of providing our IBAN to the scammer. We reminded the scammer that the WhatsApp group also promised payments via PayPal, which would avoid sharing banking details. This was, naturally, not to our contact’s liking.
Faced with this reminder, Giulia deflected and offered a convenient excuse. She claimed that her “company has reached its PayPal payment limit and you will have to wait.” However, “IBAN accounts can receive a salary of 10 euros in just 1 to 2 minutes.” Everything is done to make you agree to provide your IBAN.
Unconvincing Excuses to Deceive You
We even suggested making the payment via cryptocurrency. Again, she added, without giving a real reason, that she could “only transfer money via IBAN.” Future payments via PayPal would have to wait several hours, because “there are currently twenty people in the queue.” This is an excuse that doesn’t really make sense. We then proposed to the scammer to wait until transfers on PayPal were available again.
In the hours following this exchange, we repeatedly contacted Giulia, but she always found excuses to emphasize the IBAN over PayPal. She even claimed that her “account is pending processing.” Subsequently, she stopped responding to our inquiries. She clearly realized that we weren’t going to agree to provide our banking details, no matter what. We shared our misadventure on the WhatsApp group that originated the scam, but we were ignored by all participants. Let’s hope our messages alerted other targets added by the scammers.
Note that other members of the 01net editorial team were also targeted by this task scam. As you can see, some members had fun poking fun at the cybercriminals behind the scams (we’re not sure the hackers understood the irony). These groups were very active for a few days, with a huge number of bots exchanging information about their successful payments, before becoming completely silent. Some groups were then deleted.
How to Protect Yourself Against Task Scams on WhatsApp?
If you are suddenly added to a similar WhatsApp group, don’t be fooled by the promise of easy money. Simply leave the group. To protect yourself against other scams in the future, you can prevent (or limit) being added to WhatsApp groups through privacy settings.
Simply open the WhatsApp application on your smartphone, go to Settings, then Account and Privacy. In the Groups section, choose who is allowed to add you to a group. You can choose between Everyone, only contacts, or all my contacts except certain specific names. We recommend restricting the function to your contacts to limit the risks.
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