New York Attorney General Letitia James is taking important steps to reclaim more than $2 million in cryptocurrency that was fraudulently obtained from unsuspecting victims.
These individuals were misled into investing in cryptocurrency under the false pretense of securing remote job opportunities.
Fraudulent Messaging and Deceptive Tactics
In her recent announcement, Attorney General James explained that New Yorkers received misleading text messages claiming to offer flexible and high-paying positions.
Instead of genuine employment offers, these messages deceived recipients into purchasing cryptocurrency, which was subsequently stolen.
The fraudulent operation manipulated victims into creating cryptocurrency accounts and depositing funds.
They were then directed to rate products on fake websites designed to mimic well-known brands.
The scheme required victims to keep a cryptocurrency balance at least equal to the value of the items they rated, assuring them that this was merely a step to “legitimize” their feedback, not to make actual purchases.
Consequences for Victims
These individuals were led to believe they would get back their initial investments along with a commission.
Unfortunately, they ultimately received nothing in return.
Thanks to collaboration with the U.S. Secret Service, Attorney General James announced that the illegally acquired cryptocurrency has been frozen.
She urged the public to exercise caution when receiving unsolicited text messages about job offers or opportunities from unfamiliar sources.
Rising Scam Awareness
Condemning these tactics used against people in search of legitimate employment, James characterized the deception as inhumane and unacceptable.
Her announcement comes on the heels of a warning issued by the FBI earlier this year, which noted a rise in scams centered around work-from-home job postings.
Scammers have reached out via unsolicited messages, offering seemingly simple tasks such as reviewing restaurants or participating in repetitive online activities.
In these scams, victims were instructed to make cryptocurrency payments to these bogus employers to “unlock” more job opportunities, but in reality, the money went straight to the scammers.
Source: Cointelegraph
