Be sure to be skeptical of an employer who asks you to send cryptocurrency to secure your dream work-from-home position. Remember, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) points out that such requests are most likely a fraud attempt.

In its statement dated June 4, the FBI announced that there was a significant increase in work-from-home job posting scams. This scam network often sends unsolicited calls or messages to potential victims.

These messages offer relatively simple tasks, such as reviewing restaurants, repeatedly clicking a specific button to “optimize” a website, and so on. Remarkably, scammers can even make victims believe they have made money. Through a fake interface, they show victims that they have earned money, but it is never possible to withdraw this money.

Fraud actually comes into play at the most critical point. The victim is directed to make cryptocurrency payments to the fake employer to “open” more job opportunities. Of course, these payments go directly to the fraudsters’ accounts.

The FBI warns job seekers to be able to identify such scams. Situations such as excessive use of the word “optimization” in a job posting or failure to request references during the hiring process should be considered red flags.

As the demand for positions that offer the opportunity to work from home increases, it is possible to say that such frauds victimize more people. According to Statista data, the number of remote workers globally increased to 28% by the end of 2023. Positions that offer the opportunity to work remotely also give employees the freedom to choose their workplace. This motivates many people who are looking for an attractive lifestyle.

For example, Canggu-based crypto consultant Dominic Frei said he moved from Switzerland to Bali with his wife and two young children in search of a more attractive lifestyle and climate. However, since such lifestyle changes can be costly, remote work becomes an attractive option. Unfortunately, this also benefits scammers.

Crypto-related investment losses increased from $2.57 billion in 2022 to approximately $3.94 billion in 2023, according to a report from the FBI. This represents a 53% increase in one year. A significant part of this increase is attributed to fraud committed through work-from-home job postings.

One of the most common cryptocurrency-related scams is “romance scams.” In this type of fraud, the criminal creates a fake online identity to gain the victim’s trust. In communication with a fake identity, the criminal acts as if he has romantic feelings for the victim. After establishing this trust relationship, it tries to persuade the victim to send cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, after the victim sends money to the scammer, the criminal disappears.

In light of the FBI’s warnings and data, people who dream of working from home should be careful about job postings. When you receive a seemingly perfect job offer, you should be suspicious and research the employer and the offer in detail.