Earning a fast buck is more dangerous than you think in today’s digital age.
The Internet has opened up numerous opportunities for scammers to exploit unsuspecting job-seekers, luring them to fake typing jobs.
How do I know?
I was a Victim, and this is my story.
Scammers Galore on “People per the Hour”.
“I trust People per the Hour. It’s legit and a great site for freelance work. But the Website is peppered by scammers.
My story started with a lady named Christine W advertising that she required content writing services to spruce up a retirement service website.
I sent in my proposal to her, and within five minutes, she sent me the message below:
Please reach out to our Property Director to discuss further.
You can contact them directly via our company’s Telegram channel by clicking this link: https://t.me/Hogarth_remote_workers.
They’ll be happy to assist you with your inquiry .
Looking forward to hearing from you.
After clicking the mentioned link, I was directed to a Telegram Profile named Remote Rangers.
A guy called Rodriguez contacted me and told me to send in the following details:
Name
Age
Nationality
Email Address
Job Required.
Rodriguez mentioned that Hogarth remote workers are looking for Freelance designers, programmers and typists.
I told him that as I was a Content Writer, I didn’t mind earning some extra income doing a typing gig.
He then sent me a 55-page PDF document. The document was based on “Guidelines on the Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflict” high-end stuff.
It looked very convincing that someone important was impatiently waiting for this document to be re-typed into an editable format.
Rodriquez informed that the document would need to be retyped in Word format and the deadline was five days.
On completion of the project I was to receive £ 1,375.
Project Submission
I naively took on the project and completed what was required in five days.
I then sent the neatly typed Word document to Mr Rodriquez via Telegram.
Within 10 minutes, I got a reply, “Thank you for your submission .
The company will review your work and get back to you within an hour.”
After exactly an hour passed, Mr Rodriguez sent me a message saying, “Congratulations on a job well done, and thank you for all your great efforts.”
He then forwarded me a link saying I needed to get in touch with their Paymaster.
The $80 dollar Scam
I clicked on the link sent by Rodriguez, and it led me to Marcus Almond
The Paymaster. Marcus requested me to submit the following details:
Finished Job:
Salary Amount:
Account Details:
And email:
After furnishing him with the above information, he requested for my bank details.
I was a bit hesitant on this request and asked if he could send the payment through Western Union.
He made an excuse about Western Union Details. And insisted I forward him my bank details.
After receiving my bank details — Marcus sent me the following Telegram message:
When I asked Marcus about the above message I had received, he informed me that my payment of £ 1,375 ($2000) was stuck and that I needed to transfer $80 to resolve the issue.
I was devastated to receive this information from Marcus Almond, as I knew I was being setup to be scammed.
After gathering my thoughts together, I decided to play along with the Scammer.
I inquired with Marcus which bank he used to transfer the payment.
He responded, mentioning Chase Bank, located in the United States.
Sceptical of his claim, I expressed my doubts, noting that even if an $80 fee were applied, it could easily be deducted from my payment of £1,375 without causing major issues.
He told me the payment of $2,000 needs to be cleared and insisted I send the 80 dollars!! .
He said if you want your payment you need to first transfer 80$
Well, the bus stopped here! And I was not going to be taken for a ride any longer.
I deleted Mr Rodriguez and Marcus Almond’s Telegram accounts.
Lessons Learnt
Forget about working online; it is all a scam. Just Kidding.
More wiser now, here are my words of Wisdom:
Research the company: Check reviews, complaints, and P.O. Box addresses. If not found, don’t hesitate to ask.
Never pay to receive your payment. Legitimate employers do not ask employees to pay fees to receive their salary.
Avoid Sharing Personal Information: Think Twice before divulging your bank details. If you’re not sure don’t put it out there,
Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off or too good to be true… just walk away.
If you liked my article — take a look at my latest e-book — “Is there Intelligence in Artificial Intelligence?
Explore a friendly perspective on the difference between human intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI).