A big tech company offers you an easy and (very) well-paid job… And you end up like a “mule” bank laundering money. It’s this scam

Motivated by a simple job search and promises of opportunities to earn money easily, Many people can end up getting caught up in online scam networks like the one recently revealed by cybersecurity company ESET. Easy opportunities are expensive.

ESET has detected that an alleged job offer from the famous technology company DJI (manufacturer of cameras and drones) was used as fishhook by criminals to carry out illegal money laundering operations.

They took advantage of the company’s reputation to deceive users into victims of a plot designed to Turning victims into bank “mules”.

In other words: you start by discussing a job opportunity via WhatsApp messages and You end up participating in the movement and money laundering obtained illegally. But several aspects of this offer should set off our alarms and make us suspicious as soon as we receive it…

• Firstly The message comes from a number with a foreign prefix, in this case, registered in the Republic of Benin (West Africa).
• The offer requires very few requirements (essentially having a device with internet access) and offers Significantly high salaries for seemingly simple tasks. I mean “Up to 500 euros per hour”? “Up to €10,000 per month”? Excuse me?
• The link provided in the message is shortened, making it difficult to identify its real destination before clicking on it. But, when you click on it, redirects us to a website that is not related to DJI.

A simple job, if you want to end up in chirona

A few redirects later, the victim finds himself in a WhatsApp conversation with a person who aims to persuade him of the benefits of fraudulent work. Specifically receive large sums of money in your bank accounts and transfer these funds to other accounts under the control of their employers… In exchange for a commission, of course.

But, although they are presented as “legitimate” business operations, if you actually agree, you would be aiding in the movement and laundering of money from criminal activities, such as: theft of funds from bank accounts whose access data has been disclosed through the use of Trojan horses.

Here’s what Europol says

Although cryptocurrencies have made it possible to innovate in the field of money laundering, the recruitment of “mules” remains an effective strategy… for the bosses of the conspiracies. However, “mules” are the weakest link in the chain in this class of scams. And ultimately, they are easier for authorities to track and detain.

Via | ESET

The image | ESET + Marcos Merino using AI

In Genbeta | This Trojan for Android is a nightmare for banks like BBVA, Santander or CaixaBank: it’s Xenomorph