23 Feb Digital Agency Scams on Telegram & WhatsApp

Posted at 17:31h in General by SOMS Digital 0 Comments

Scams are, unfortunately, commonplace in South Africa, posing a significant challenge to individuals and businesses across the country. One of the latest scams doing the rounds is via trusted platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

Users receive a message from an unknown number offering the simplest job with which to earn up to R600 per day.

For many looking for a lucrative work-from-home opportunity, this sounds like a dream. The tasks include “liking and subscribing” to a few YouTube channels a day, or giving reviews for businesses through Google My Business or Google Maps.

Unfortunately, this job recruitment scam has falsely been associated with SOMS Digital. Therefore, we caution all individuals to please be vigilant and aware of this fraudulent activity.

Here’s a closer look at how the scam works:

Step One: A Friendly Greeting

Unsuspecting individuals are approached by someone with a fake name and company, in this case, SOMS Digital. This is done via Telegram or WhatsApp. The message often provides information on how you can enjoy part-time work by completing simple tasks.

The scam sounds tempting. After all, who doesn’t enjoy earning a few extra bucks each week? Once your interest has been piqued, they move on to the next step.

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Step Two: Building Trust

What makes this scam so sinister is that victims will initially get paid for the tasks they complete. Payment methods may vary according to the individuals associated with the scam, but once you’ve provided the required information, you will be credited with the promised amount.

Step Three: The Twist

Earning money to subscribe to a few accounts or write a review sounds too good to be true, right? Unfortunately, it is. Once you’ve completed a number of “free” tasks, the fraudsters will then proposition you with the opportunity to earn more money.

The Twist: you’ll be asked to make a payment of around R1000 (again, this varies) which will then allow you to earn even more money from “premium” tasks.

After victims make the payment, they will either receive no further communication or be provided with low-quality or irrelevant tasks that do not come close to the promises made.

How to Spot Any Scam Associated with SOMS Digital:

We will never ask for sensitive information such as passwords or financial details through unsolicited messages.
We will never advertise vacancies via WhatsApp or Telegram offering money
Official communication from SOMS will always come from verified accounts with our official logo.
Check the email address and domain—official SOMS communications will be sent from somsdigital.co.za; somsdigital.com and somsdigital.co.uk.
We do NOT communicate through Telegram

Here’s what you can do:

Reach out to us through official channels to confirm the legitimacy of any message or request.
If you come across any fraudulent activity claiming to be associated with SOMS, report it to us immediately; we’ll then guide you on the next steps to help prevent this in future.