The combination of the growth of the cryptocurrency market and remote job opportunities has unfortunately attracted a dangerous element in the form of complex job scams. Scammers target job seekers with false promises of remote jobs and lucrative positions, which ultimately result in financial theft and data breaches.
Chainalysis's report on fraudulent sites such as daptonerecordsmusicalbums.com and outlierventures-app.com shows how effective these scams have become. Fraudulent sites such as daptonerecordsmusicalbums.com and outlierventures-app.com quickly earned hundreds of thousands of dollars through transactions in Bitcoin and Ether.
This article will give you an overview of crypto job-related scams, explaining fraudulent tactics and warning signs, and providing tips to protect yourself when looking for a job in the crypto sector.
What exactly are crypto job scams?
The crypto job scams operate as fraudulent operations in which scammers pose as real employers in the cryptocurrency industry. Their bait? Remote job offers promising high salaries with few job or experience requirements, which are often scams. The scammers want candidates to:
- share sensitive personal information;
- pay upfront fees for non-existent opportunities;
- download malware disguised as software needed for onboarding.
These scammers use phishing emails and fake job postings on platforms such as LinkedIn and Telegram to target people. Victims of these scams face serious consequences, including emptied crypto wallets and stolen money, along with spyware installed on their devices. The scammers pretend to be popular companies to trick people into participating in fake product reviews for non-existent online services.
Unveil the tactics how crypto recruitment scams work
Crypto recruitment scams target job seekers using deceptive tactics to steal money. Here are some common methods:
- Requesting upfront fees: scammers ask for fees for processing applications or background checks, and then disappear after receiving money for travel expenses.
- Fake courses or certification programmes: they sell expensive training programmes that have no value or do not exist, and which applicants must complete before applying.
- Counterfeit cheques: instruct victims to deposit fake cheques and return some of the funds, putting them at financial risk when the cheques are discovered to be invalid.
- Money transfer schemes: require payments in cryptocurrency or fiat currency to access jobs or processing fees via multi-level systems. Once the money is sent, they disappear.
- Sending malicious files: malicious attachments included in recruitment emails can introduce malware, putting your digital assets at risk. Scammers can trick you into downloading counterfeit video conferencing applications that are actually spyware.
The 7 step scam: how fake crypto jobs hook you
The regular recruitment methods used in these scams provide useful hints for spotting the warning signs.
- Job Postings
Scammers post professional-looking job advertisements on social media and online message boards offering well-paid remote positions in crypto trading and investment analysis. - First Contact
Fake company websites and social profiles allow scammers to appear legitimate while quickly responding to applications. They can contact victims directly by proposing tempting job offers. - Registration request
Scammers send victims to fraudulent sites where they receive referral codes to complete registration. The malicious nature of the site only becomes apparent after registration. - Requesting fees for "training"
Scammers demand cryptocurrency payments for mandatory training or exclusive tools, and sometimes force downloads of malicious apps or files. - Pressure tactics
Scammers use urgency tactics, claiming there are limited places combined with special discounts to push immediate payments. - Fake Task Assignment
After payment, victims receive useless tasks such as clicking on ads or entering data. - Disappearance
The scammer stops responding and disappears after receiving payment.
The fake tasks and deposits trap
Scammers use simple tasks such as clicking on ads or posting reviews to lure victims by promising easy profits. The scam starts by allowing small withdrawals to build trust. After a short initial period, victims face pressure to make additional deposits to unlock assets with higher payouts.
The illusion of a commission balance keeps users' interest high while withdrawals remain limited to the amount deposited. Fraudsters can implement fake 'lucky events' that require further deposits. At some point, an 'error' will appear requiring victims to make substantial deposits to resolve the problem, causing severe financial damage. Scammers use large group chats on platforms such as Telegram or WhatsApp, where fake accounts display earnings to pressure victims, as in "pig butchering" schemes.
real life examples of crypto job scams
- GrassCall malware campaign: a malicious meeting app called "GrassCall" allowed scammers to trick Web3 candidates with fraudulent interviews. The app introduced malware that stole information, allowing hackers to empty crypto wallets. The cybercriminal group 'Crazy Evil' planned this operation by creating the fake entity 'ChainSeeker.io' and applying social engineering methods to deceive targets. The fraudsters posted fake ads on trusted platforms such as LinkedIn. Malware with remote access tools and data-stealing features affected both Windows and Mac systems.
- Fake recruiter CrowdStrike: in February 2025, a phishing campaign mimicking CrowdStrike tricked candidates into downloading a Monero miner called XMRig, presented as a 'CRM app for employees'. The fake site replicated CrowdStrike's official site.
- Recruitment through informal channels: people received messages on WhatsApp from scammers promising well-paying part-time jobs with few requirements and payments on encrypted wallets. The scammers would convince victims to deposit money on fraudulent platforms before blocking withdrawals and requesting further deposits. Fake sites such as 'www.travelsunrise.work' have also emerged.
The psychology behind falling for scams
Crypto scams exploit several psychological biases:
- Fallacy of the sunk cost: victims who have invested time and money find it hard to stop because they want to recoup their investment.
- Principle of reciprocity: fraudsters make victims feel obliged, convincing them that they must 'return a favour' with further deposits.
- Loss Prevention: victims on bogus platforms pay extra fees because they fear losing apparent 'gains'.
Scammers use these methods to create a psychological trap that forces victims to make continuous payments.
Protect Yourself: How to Avoid Job Crypto Scams
- Check Job Offers: check the legitimacy of offers through the company's official website and verified LinkedIn and social profiles. Contact HR if you have any doubts.
- Beware of unsolicited offers: be wary of unsolicited offers received via email, social or direct messages, especially if you have not sent any applications.
- Don't pay upfront fees: reputable companies do not ask employees to cover the costs of courses, equipment purchases or onboarding procedures. This is an important warning sign.
- Use scam detection tools: online anti-scam tools for the crypto world use multiple methods to detect scams and help thwart them.
- Beware of "too good to be true" offers: if ads propose unrealistically high salaries or minimum requirements, be suspicious. Serious companies will never ask you to pay money for more money.
The future threat: AI and crypto scams
Technological advances will lead to changes in crypto scam tactics. AI-generated deepfake recruiters could soon conduct authentic video interviews, while AI-generated phishing emails will become highly personalised by analysing victims' online activity.
To combat future threats, there is a need to:
- improve monitoring systems;
- launch large-scale awareness campaigns;
- strengthen verification methods for work platforms;
- teach people to recognise fraud.
AI-based fraud detection systems and blockchain-based tracking mechanisms help detect suspicious behaviour. Establishing a unified crypto fraud reporting system and improving international collaboration remain key actions to protect victims.
