In a current warning, the Southern Upper Bavaria Police Headquarters has drawn attention to the scheme known as job scamming and provided recommendations on how citizens can protect themselves.
Southern Upper Bavaria — According to reports, criminals advertise opportunities for quick additional income primarily through social networks, messaging apps, and online classifieds. These ads promise minimal time commitment. Once contact is established, interested parties are lured by allegedly easy tasks, such as liking or sharing social media posts, watching YouTube videos, or rating products, hotels, and websites. As police reported, victims initially receive small cash payments to establish trust.
Subsequently, according to the police headquarters, victims are often added to groups on WhatsApp or other messengers where sham mentors or supervisors motivate them to complete further assignments. However, as interaction continues, the criminals demand advance payments—for example, to supposedly unlock higher-paying tasks or to increase commissions for greater profit. Victims are often subjected to massive pressure to invest increasingly larger sums. Ultimately, payouts cease entirely, and in many cases, victims lose significant funds.
Police Recommendations for Protection
The police urgently recommend against accepting job offers distributed exclusively through messaging apps or social networks and warn not to fall for ploys involving simple actions and promised quick cash. Under no circumstances should advance payments be made to secure earning opportunities. Particular caution should be exercised when using cryptocurrency applications in connection with such job offers. Groups distributing these vacancies should be left immediately. Personal and confidential data must never be shared with strangers.
For those who have already fallen for this scheme, police advise immediately halting all further payments and contacting their bank without delay to check or block transactions. Additionally, it is vital to preserve evidence—for example, by taking screenshots of correspondence, payment documents, and contact information—and to file a report with the police. The headquarters also pointed out that receiving commissions in conjunction with made payments could, under certain circumstances, have criminal legal consequences: suspicion of money laundering may arise.
Reputable employers, according to police, never demand advance payments and do not distribute vacancies exclusively through messaging apps. Citizens should thoroughly verify job offers and, in case of doubt, discuss them with a trusted person or contact the police directly.
Source: Rosenheim24
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