Scammers Post Fake IT Job Ads in Telegram Channels

Recently, popular Telegram channels featuring job listings have seen a rise in fraudulent ads for remote IT positions. In these scams, job seekers are asked for personal information and are tricked into linking a supposed corporate SIM card to their online banking account, allowing scammers to steal money.

Experts from the company “Infosystems Jet” told Kommersant that cybercriminals are targeting remote IT jobs because of the industry’s reputation for high salaries and the strong demand for remote work. These fake ads appear among legitimate job offers in channels with tens of thousands of subscribers. For example, one fake ad was posted in a job-seeking community for writers with about 20,000 members. In total, at least 35 fake ads from a single scam account were found in such channels and chats.

Applicants who respond to these fake ads are asked to fill out a Google form with their contact details or to contact an HR manager directly. They are then scheduled for a remote interview via messenger. Afterward, a supposed accountant contacts the applicant, offering to send a contract signed by a manager and a corporate SIM card to be linked to the applicant’s online banking account.

“This scheme is complex, but it allows scammers to steal more personal data and money,” notes Anastasia Filippova, an analyst with the Jet CSIRT cyber intelligence group at Infosystems Jet.

Filippova advises job seekers to check whether an attractive vacancy posted on Telegram is also listed on the company’s official website or on trusted job search platforms. According to the press service of hh.ru, such portals verify and label employers, so scammers prefer to create accounts and post ads on platforms without these procedures.

Maksim Alexandrov, a software product expert at “Security Code,” told reporters that this scheme is effective because so many people are looking for ways to enter the IT industry. He said that, to appear more convincing, scammers often ask applicants to complete a test assignment, after which they gain access to the applicant’s online banking or government services portal account.

Alexandrov also noted that, in addition to fake job ads, scammers post offers for training courses to build a database of potential victims.