Infoblox Uncovers Recruitment Scam Targeting Australians via Telegram

Infoblox Uncovers Recruitment Scam Targeting Australians via Telegram


A new investigation by Infoblox Threat Intel has revealed the tactics used by scammers to carry out recruitment fraud targeting Australians through the messaging app Telegram.

Titled "Telegram Tango: Dancing with a Scammer", the report details how a threat researcher interacted with scammers posing as recruiters. The scam began when the researcher received an unsolicited Telegram message from someone claiming to be “Arabella.” She offered a remote job requiring no experience, using the branding of a legitimate company, “Corner Office Consultants,” along with a link to its official website.

However, Arabella was not affiliated with the real business and was part of a scam network.

Over several days, the researcher engaged with multiple Telegram accounts. The scam involved assigning meaningless online tasks such as clicking “Starting” and “Submit.” The victim was then asked to deposit money in cryptocurrency to continue the job.

The scammers later introduced another fake employee named “Maria,” who gave more job details linked to “Marble Media,” another real company. However, the website they provided — marblemediaseo[.]cc — was a fake created to trick users.

The report noted that the scammers likely used a mix of human and AI-generated messages. Some responses were long and instant, while others were short but delayed, suggesting a switch between automated systems and human agents.

In a twist, the researcher managed to trick the scammers and withdraw some money, prompting them to cut off communication. Infoblox described this as a small moral win and a valuable learning experience.

The investigation highlights how recruitment scams are becoming more common and advanced, especially those involving cryptocurrency. Reports from 2024 estimate that consumers lost around USD $9.3 billion to crypto-related scams.

“Scams are a multi-billion-dollar business, maturing in their ability to target and take advantage of victims every day,” the Infoblox report stated.

This case is part of an ongoing series by Infoblox Threat Intel focused on exposing scam operations around the world.


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