Redazione RHC : 3 September 2025 07:34
The latest research from the security leader reveals the fraudulent mechanisms behind fake job opportunities offered by digital platforms
The number of victims of the “Task scam” is increasing worldwide, a rapidly growing scam that Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, analyzes in its latest research, “Unmasking Task Scams to Prevent Financial Fallout From Fraud.” The “Task scam” is a sophisticated scam that targets users looking for work online. This type of fraud, after an initial seemingly serious job offer, lures the victim into repetitive digital activities that deprive them of large sums of money.
“Task scams are one of the most dangerous cybercriminal threats today, both financially and psychologically. The infrastructure that enables this type of fraud, from domain registrars to SMS blasting services, requires immediate attention. Companies can reduce risks by making hiring practices transparent and training job seekers to distinguish legitimate communications from fake ones.” Says Salvatore Marcis, Country Manager of Trend Micro Italy.
Trend’s research reveals that behind this scam lies a vast global criminal infrastructure capable of defrauding job seekers through gamification techniques. Cybercriminals impersonate real companies and exploit trusted communication channels, tricking victims into losing hundreds of thousands of euros, which are then transferred to cryptocurrency wallets.
This fraud tactic is highly targeted and designed to go undetected. In a recent global study conducted by Trend of over 6,500 consumers, 39% reported realizing they had been scammed only after losing a significant amount of money. Trend’s research details the experience of engaging with scammers, identifies a map of malicious websites, and includes forensic analysis of associated cryptocurrency wallets. In one case, a single wallet accumulated over €187,000 in less than two months, while another was linked to transactions worth over €1.2 million.
Key findings from the research include:
Victims report significant emotional distress, often describing behaviors similar to gambling addiction. In some cases, scams are linked to broader criminal operations, including forced labor and human trafficking in Southeast Asia, although such links cannot be confirmed in all cases.
Trend Micro ScamCheck with Scam Radar helps users quickly recognize scam attempts. Scam Radar is the first solution of its kind and provides real-time protection by identifying scam tactics used by cybercriminals as they occur, alerting users, and allowing them to take action before they suffer harm.
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