As my family was preparing to go out for dinner the other night, I received a Whatsapp text from someone I had never heard from. They inquired about my interest in a remote job. Being lazy by nature, these are always hard to pass up. When I engage with people soliciting me out of the blue to do “work”, I go in knowing I will not be investing any of my own money. As of yet, none have passed this barrier to entry. Yet, I am curious if there may be an “internet money tree” that finally decided to grow in my backyard.
After exchanging niceties with my would-be recruiter, this is the job description and dialogue that followed:
After reading this description, I was curious. I was (and still am) looking for a VERY part-time job that will make some spending money. If I can make enough to allow me to buy a few new books at Amazon and to allow my wife and I to go out a couple nights per week, then I am willing to trade some of my time for compensation.
After returning from dinner and driving around looking at our city’s “winning” Christmas light displays, I settled in and started Whatsapping with the “head of recruiting”. I easily completed the interview. In fact, I did so well, they were ready to try me out. As my wife and I watched TV, I logged into their site. I clicked the “SUBMIT” button 20+ times. When completing this overly simple labor, I was told I would get paid. How would I be paid? I would get paid in crypto. The next few minutes I was instructed how to set up the crypto account so I could receive my payment.
We completed the evening’s activities with me expecting to receive my $60ish payment into my new crypto account. I would contact her the next day after it arrived. When we did connect, the crypto had not yet made it to my account. I needed to paste the information she told me into the correct place on the website. Of course, shortly after that, the money entered my account. Our “training” went nowhere after this, though. When I first started this little game, I told myself I would not put any of my own money in. Bertha (that was her WhatsApp name) did not like this at all. She reminded me how I “said” I wanted to make money and how I wanted to be a part of this program. After she came right up to the line of insulting me, she backed off and let me go.
She did not entirely let me go. For the next two days, she sent me text regarding “Merry Christmas” and other non-confrontational topics. Then, she disappeared until last week. She showed up again with a new phone number and an apology. I had no regrets, but I was curious. I revisited the site and was greeted with this:
While I thought I was careful to not give away anything important when we chatted, I reviewed our entire chat. I had not given any financial information away. I had, however, been encouraged to turn on 2-Factor Authentication. I can’t remember all she asked me to do (and my chat is not revealing everything). I was encouraged to use a Google Authenticator app. I “think” Bertha had me convinced she was harmless. I may have provided information that would have allowed her to set up the authenticator to my account.
After sweating and reviewing everything else I could remember doing while navigating a potentially “dangerous” site, I changed my authentication app to a new one. I will guard this information much more closely in the future. Granting anyone access to apps that grant access to where you have money is a very dangerous precedent.
Lesson learned and confirmed: Don’t participate in anything where you have to invest your money to make money. And, don’t accept payment and get overpaid for doing almost nothing. It is all a trap to cause you to lower your defenses.
Maybe this wasn’t a Ponzi. Should the title be, “When You Phish, Be Kind.” Whatever the scam, I am glad to have been spared any additional bruising of my pride.
