In Russia, a new fraud pattern has emerged that targets people with promises of distant employment. Tass reported, citing Alla Khrapunova, who tracks popular scam tactics, that criminals have been preying on citizens with alluring remote-work offers. The scheme relies on convincing setups and carefully staged details to build trust before any money changes hands.
Criminals lure victims with an advertised monthly salary around 70,000 rubles and present seemingly easy tasks tied to sending and receiving items by mail. The alleged job involves receiving parcels at home and then sending them back to a warehouse as part of a supposed onboarding process. The terms look highly attractive, which can cloud judgment for those unsure about the legitimacy of the offer.
After gaining confidence, the attackers claim that the parcel will be accepted and that the applicant just needs to pay a so-called pledge before the goods are shipped. Once the money is transferred, the scammers cut off all communication, leaving the applicant with a financial loss and no way to resolve the situation.
Experts stress that a legitimate job should not require upfront payments. If a future employer asks for any money to be transferred or asks for deposits in advance, that is a clear fraud signal and should trigger immediate skepticism and verification of the company’s legitimacy.
On February 4 authorities warned that many Russians fell for a hacker-related scam, handing nearly 3.7 million rubles to fraudsters. The warning underscored the importance of cautious behavior when evaluating online job offers and the risks of responding to unsolicited opportunities. [Source: Tass, via Alla Khrapunova]
Earlier, a young man from Kuzbass lost 250,000 rubles after pursuing what appeared to be a winning prize connected to an online job offer. This case illustrates how quickly earnest curiosity can turn into financial harm when scammers exploit hopes of easy income. [Source: Tass, via Alla Khrapunova]