How Groups are at the Center of Telegram Scams
Author: Nichlaus O.
Telegram Messenger is one of the top 10 popular apps worldwide. It boats over 500 million downloads and has features that give it an edge over other messaging apps. These are:
- Members, including the group admins, are anonymous as they can only be identified by username
- Bigger groups- up to 200,000 members
- High limits on file size up to 2GB
- No restriction on file types sent through the platform
- Editing your sent messages
- Ability to see conversation history in groups that you newly join.
These extra features are the loopholes exploited by scammers to deceive trusting users on the platform.
Signs of Telegram Scams
- Any contact by strangers on Telegram to join an investment group will usually be the start of a scam. You’ll commonly come across offers of 150% return on investment within days or weeks. Scammer groups on Telegram are the order of the day because groups can contain thousands of members.
- Groups where every other member posts screenshots and images of how much they have gained from the investment advertised there. It’s intended to sway you to also invest. The ‘proof’ is fake.
- Telegram groups with lots of inspirational, heart-warming messages with brief quotes from philosophers on matters of investing, taking risks, and the like. These are tailored scammer content to get you to buy into an idea or invest in what’s advertised.
- Fake copy-pasted conversations to give an impression of an active group.
- Getting kicked out of a Telegram group for asking probing questions about what is being sold or how the investment works.
Common Telegram Scams
Telegram’s feature of having large groups makes it a good hunting ground for scammers to prey on victims. Be on the alert for these scams:
Investment Scams
This is the most common type of Telegram scam. The platform provides a fishing pool for unsuspecting people interested in investing and growing their money quickly. Here’s the catch: scammers always promise abnormally high returns to get your attention. Yet that is the warning of a coming scam.
Always do your due diligence in assessing an investment opportunity before putting your money in.
Employment Scams
The most common Telegram employment scam is advertising for fake non-existent jobs. These ‘employers’ will demand payment before joining the ‘company’ for made-up reasons such as training materials and equipment. There is no genuine organization that demands payment from the employees. Beware of scams in the job market.
Giveaway Scams
Scammers impersonate business executives, celebrities, or big corporations to falsely claim that you have won a prize. The catch is that you need to pay a fee to receive the prize, usually said to be for ‘shipping’. Ever heard of a free giveaway that’s not really free? This is one of them. Please beware.
Load Up Scams
This is a crypto scam that offers high-limit crypto trading accounts. A high-limit account should enable you to trade higher volumes of cryptocurrencies at a go.
Only that such accounts do not have the high limits promised, or do not exist at all. The scammer’s goal is to get you to pay first. Should you go along with it and pay, the scammer will disappear with your money. Watch out for these crypto scams that are on the rise today.
Account Sharing Scam
The idea appeals to potential and current users who trade in cryptocurrency. Scammers approach crypto traders with accounts in Coinbase with promises of splitting profits after they trade. So, the scammer uses the victim’s account to trade digital currencies using stolen credit cards. When the account gets flagged, you are left in trouble with the authorities. The scammer who traded with the account already transferred the gains to their account.
Fake Product Promotions
Low prices, bargains, offers, and deals on Telegram are not all true. But the trap is usually set here. Then you are directed to a website for the real scam. It may be a phishing link that is set up for identity theft to facilitate credit card fraud. A scammer’s ultimate goal is your money, not the “super deals” on offer.
How To Avoid Telegram Scams
- Do not follow links blindly from groups on Telegram to online stores or eCommerce sites unknown to you. Check the site trust score using Scamadviser.com before you buy.
- Beware of abnormally high returns on investment being promised in cryptocurrency investments and other types of investments. These are all scams.
Doing your due diligence is the best defense against all scammers. It applies to these Telegram scams. Always check details given before sending money or submitting your name, credit card number, or bank details. You'd rather be safe than sorry!
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