FBI called: Pay attention to this new crypto scam!

Be cautious of an employer asking you to send cryptocurrency in order to start a job from home. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States says it is likely another scam.

The FBI warned on June 4th that there has been an increase in work-from-home job scams. Scammers will contact potential victims through an unwanted call or message and offer a relatively simple job, such as rating restaurants or clicking a button.

Scammers can even make their victims believe that they have earned money because they will direct them to a fake interface (but they will never be able to convert the money into cash).

Fraud occurs when the victim is asked to make cryptocurrency payments to a fake employer for more work. FBI said, “You are being directed to make cryptocurrency payments to your employer as part of your job.”

Among the signs that may indicate a scam are the excessive use of the word 'optimization' and job descriptions that do not require references during the hiring process. With the increasing popularity of the work-from-home lifestyle, it is not surprising that more victims fall into this trap. According to Statista data, the percentage of remote workers worldwide is expected to reach 28% by the end of 2023.

Remote workers also have the freedom to choose where they will be located. Crypto consultant Dominic Frei, based in Canggu, recently told Cointelegraph Magazine in an interview that he brought his wife and two young children from Switzerland to Bali in search of a more desirable lifestyle and climate.

This development comes just months after the FBI released a worrying statistic about the amount of cryptocurrency fraud within the country in 2023. On March 9, Cointelegraph referred to a report stating that crypto investment losses rose from $2.57 billion in 2022 to approximately $3.94 billion in 2023, representing a 53% increase.

One of the most common crypto scams that preys on people is the romance scam. This is where a perpetrator adopts a fake online identity to gain the love and trust of the victim before creating a story to convince the victim to send crypto, but then disappears afterwards.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendation. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.