Most Common Telegram Scams and What You Can Do About Them
Telegram has become one of the world’s top communications mobile apps – now has over 500 million users. However, here are the six Telegram scams that everyone should be aware of, from crypto Telegram groups to fake jobs. Let’s dive in. Also, feel free to contribute in the comments section with the building of a Telegram scammers list.
1. Crypto Telegram Groups Fraud
Cryptocurrencies are used for a lot of things. If you’re lucky, they could make you a millionaire in no time. They’re not tied to any government institutes; however, you need to identify yourself when signing up for a crypto wallet. Scammers and criminals want to bypass this exact part of the crypto business when they use a cryptocurrency for fraudulent practices, like money laundering or transferring money from a stolen bank account into a crypto wallet.
This is where Telegram comes into play, as suspicious crypto Telegram groups. Being an encrypted messaging app, the platform makes a perfect hub for criminals to sell IDs, passports, and Social Security Numbers to other fraudsters to bypass verification. And they’re rarely removed from the application. Usually, scammers who approach victims claim to be good-looking girls who also post their fake profiles on dating apps.
So next time you’re discussing crypto on Telegram, maybe even get offers where you need to give them your personal information: DON’T. Here are some other Bitcoin scams to avoid.
2. Fake Jobs On Telegram
When people are unable to find a job for a long time, they get frustrated and devastated. That’s why getting a job offer that pays well is like an ice-cold bucket of water in the desert.
But beware, because new Telegram scams try to lure people in with all sorts of fake job postings, where you might end up working for a month and then never get paid or having to pay for something in advance and then never getting the job.
A few critical signs to look out for are salaries too good to be true and employers not wanting to have face-to-face meetings, not even on Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom. And no, having a website for a ‘new company looking to hire is not proof of legitimacy. Always make sure to check if it’s fake or not – for that, you can use the Scam Detector’s website validator tool.
Here are more job scams to be aware of.
3. Marketplace Products on Telegram
This scam isn’t new, but Telegram provides fraudsters a “safe” way to scam people. They post ads and offers on various platforms like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or even eBay, usually on otherwise expensive products like cameras, laptops, cell phones – for very low prices.
Then they convince the buyer to continue the talk on a messaging app, like Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, so their identity can remain secret. They also often use local telephone numbers to look more legit.
And then you know the rest: the scammer convinces the buyer to pay for the item in advance, but then the package never arrives. Or, if at all, it’s not going to be the product the victim expected.
4. The Restaurant Scam
This scheme is a little different than the other Telegram scams but just as dangerous. Fraudsters post in various Telegram forums and promote their ability to purchase food and beverage orders at far lower-than-normal rates.
People wanting to order food at these “lowers rates” can place an order by sending a message to the scammer with a screenshot of their shopping cart and the chosen food delivery platform along with their delivery addresses.
The fraudster then replies with an offer to purchase the items for much less than the actual price. If the diner accepts the request, he must make a payment using a digital currency like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Dogecoin. Of course, what they pay is worth less than the amount they would’ve had to pay if they had ordered the food directly from the restaurant.
The fraudster then creates a new account and uses stolen credit card information or a hacked account with stored value to make a payment for the order and have it sent to the diner. Note that the scammer orders the food for the same amount the restaurant could’ve, except that he paid for it with someone else’s money but keeps the crypto for themselves.
Now the diner who ordered the food wasn’t scammed in this case because they received their purchase. But this is an excellent example of what your stolen credit card or bank account information might be used for.
5. Fake Friends On Telegram
The reason you should keep your profile private on all social media and only allow your REAL friends to see it is that scammers can easily steal your photos and pretend to be you. In this scheme, scammers will claim to be one of your acquaintances on Telegram and send you a message seemingly wanting to revive your friendship.
Suppose you are someone sharing everything on social media. In that case, they might even get information about your past relationship with whom they’re impersonating so that they could seem as legit as possible.
Fast forward, when the two of you become buddies, they come out with their real intention, which is none other than asking for money, that they say will pay back. Being the good-hearted person you are, you help them out, not knowing that you’ll never see that money ever again.
To avoid this, don’t let anyone see your list of friends on social media so you don’t become a victim of one of these Telegram scams. It’s pretty suspicious of some old acquaintance asking for a small loan, anyway.
6. COVID-19 Vaccine Scam
With the news that the 3rd COVID-19 vaccine might be needed or even mandatory, scammers revived their fraud actions from the pandemic’s beginning. They offer to sell you the vaccine outside the official distribution so you could benefit from the extra protection before anyone else.
Scammers offer COVID-19 vaccines on Telegram to individuals that want to skip the line. Some claim access to the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, which is not authorized in the United States. But they also offer Pfizer and Moderna. They promise overnight shipping and all this for a reasonable price. There is not one scenario in any of this that could be legit.
Telegram Scammer List: How To Report a Scammer
Let your family and friends know about these Telegram scams by sharing the article on your social media. You can also officially report crooks to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) using the following link: Report To The FTC Here
How To Protect Yourself More
If you want to be the first to find out the most prevalent scams on a weekly basis, consider subscribing to the Scam Detector newsletter right here. You’ll receive periodic emails – no spam.
Meanwhile, educate yourself with some other social media fraud-related articles right under this paragraph, so that you know how to stay safe online. Last but not least, use the comments section below to expose other scammers and build a Telegram scammer list.
Social Media Scams: FULL LIST
Verify a website below
Are you just about to make a purchase online? See if the website is legit with our validator:
vldtr®
https://pc.cnocoin.com/
A woman in Hong Kong calls and approaches that she is 31 years old and that the other person’s age does not matter. He did his own photos, videos, and video chat, and he said that investing in coins at the IEO level can make 10 to 15 times more profit, and he shows his actual investment details She says she loves you, let’s get married, we’ll travel here, and then she keeps saying investment. However, if you want to withdraw money out of doubt, the site above asks you to deposit 20% of the withdrawal amount, saying that 20% of the withdrawal amount is personal income tax. Maybe if I make a deposit, my account is blacklisted, and I will ask you how much to solve it.The above site is a fraudulent exchange. Don’t be fooled by what she says.
https://www.bitmaxfilm.com/ is a scam website who is looting money from the innocent people in the name of movie review ticketing. Initially they will ask to join as 10500 minm deposit and they will return 1-2 times as a profit but later when you start believing the company is genuine, that time they will ask you pay 30k, 40k and 1-2 lac amount for online review and they will return it after review, please be aware that they are scammer to loot money
Telegram scammers contact random women on the app, and pretend to be one of your favorite singers/friends ….
They post their picture and get you to accept the request. They become really good friends with you, make you beleive they are them and then start asking you for money, and apple cards. tellyou they love you and need you. Make you fall in love with them. Tell you they can’t leave their house because of them being so popular. Get you to down load cash app and get you to start sending them money by bitcoin. Ladies please be very careful on who you accept as your friend on these apps.
I can’t believe I recently fell for a Telegram scam. This guy managed to catch me off guard when I should have been skeptical. It was for $100. The way this one worked was that I had left a comment on a YouTube video. I got a reply that I won a “giveaway”. Well, the scam was paying the “shipping” charge. What it comes down to is that anyone asking for money IS a SCAMMER! Well, I won’t fall for that again. But I hope to get more of those so I can reply and waste the scammer’s time and get him pissed off.
There are also telegram scam channels on youtube claiming to be another influencer because of their profile picture, like from Unbox Therapy, commenting on other chats claiming they’ve won. Beware and never fall victim to these scams, and always go to their channel’s about page to report them.
Also notice they always have a creation date within the same year with no videos nor posts.
I’ve report a few of them already, but they manage to create more, possibly using an AI software to allows just that.
Hi everyone,
I’m once a victim of the trending online scams. This all happens while going through the comments section on a youtube video i watched, several people discussing about crypto trading and how it as been the most beneficial and profitable business to invest in while your sole aim is making huge profits.
At that time I did not realize it a trick basically set up by the scammers, more so taking the advantage of the real lucrative crypto business to scam people by displaying certain videos with comment sections. unfortunately i fell a victim and in the process i was advised to contact a so called broker agent via WhatsApp. it’s was this agent who sent me URL to verify some identities, which i blindly did.
When i asked about the trading program and how i can participate/ invest in the business, i was asked how much was my budget for the down payment to begin the trading/investing in the crypto business. then i decided to start with $700,000. He then forwarded me a signup link for his website. he claimed that was his trading website and once I have my account setup, I should send bitcoin to my trading account and his team will then put the bitcoin into automatic trading to earn profits and he also sent me a bitcoin wallet address, claiming it to be mine linked to my trading account. I then purchased $700,000 worth of bitcoin from blockchain
While trying to send the Bitcoin to the wallet provided to me, blockchain restricted i could only send $10,000.
i also noticed he was so eager i send the other balance of $100,00 to make it $20,000. so i decided to ask why is he in a rush to get the balance, he claimed it’s because he want my account to be completed and fully functional. i decided to hold on to the other $10,000 and I’m sure if have sent that, it would have ended differently. little did i realize he was a fraudster.
The helpful and most interesting part of my scam experience was after discussing with an old friend, she introduced me to a profesional and legit team at Bitcoin recovery department. and I’m happy to inform you that with just the transactions information and some other personal details they were able to help reverse the transaction by filing an urgent dispute which resulted in retrieving my lost funds and data.
got phone calls from 2 difrent women claiming looking for a person, when i teold them wrong number then they start chatting with me . telling me how i can make more money by investing in crpyto currency, they send me pictures of young women in there 30 very beautiful. . asking me to download the crypto app, and that they will guide me how to invest together.they insist that they need me to invest with them. and i looked it up you do not need 2 peapole to invest,, these women claim they are in the clothes and perfume, industry, and they drive porsche cars and feraris, with a 4000 monthly bills and home payments, living the rich life.they contacted me on whats app. so im not sure if i should report this as a scam.. i asked them for there home addres but they imediatly steered away, would not reply,when they are texting they are always on the computer, and can tell when i am opening my phone , right away asking me where have i been, they miss me.telling me they have my back and we will meet. comeon what 30 year old lady would be interested in an 70 year old man.
Could you tell me where the encryption app is?
You’re similar to me.
Don’t forget the United Nations scam. Telegram scammers contact random women on the app, and pretend to be doctors who are stationed in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, or Iraq. Many women have become victims of the UN scam. If they ask for a “vacation certificate” telling you that they need money so they can meet you in person, it’s a lie. Don’t fall for it.