Job scam with promise of high earnings: how to prevent false ads on WhatsApp

Newspaper report Extra provided tips on how to prevent scams involving false job advertisements that circulate in messaging groups, such as WhatsApp. Dr.Matheus Puppe, partner in the TMT area (Technology, Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications), Privacy & Data Protection at Maneira Advogados, was interviewed to talk about the subject.

Employment scam with promise of high earnings: how to prevent false ads on WhatsApp

At the end of the year, scams involving part-time vacancies increase Photo: Agência O Globo

Ana Flávia Pilar

The end of the year is a time for more opportunities. Temporary jobs and part-time vacancies for Christmas are hallmarks of the entire month of December. But, with the arrival of the festivities, countless different scams involving job opportunities also emerge.

Sound designer and audio editor Jocka Magalhães, aged 52, usually receives messages on WhatsApp with supposed open positions at least twice a week:

— Every time they ask me to click on a link and attach my CV, I know it's a scam. For real jobs, they usually email or call directly. I don't know if it increases at the end of the year, because I receive messages with proposals like this all year long — he said.

He also reports that some of the “recruiters” ask for immediate responses via WhatsApp, but always return with automatic texts. A very common scam, according to the sound designer, is the so-called “Pix machine”, in which the person invests a sum of money and, in theory, receives much more. In fact, it is a financial pyramid.

It is not the responsibility of the Labor Court

According to labor lawyer Vinícius Colombrini, there is no jurisdiction of the Labor Court in situations involving job scams, because an employment relationship would be necessary, which does not exist in this case.

— Victims need to be alert to vacancies that do not offer proportionality between workforce and earnings offered, in addition to issues of paying for an admission exam or something like that — he explained.

In this case, the matter invades the criminal sphere, such as embezzlement, and is related to digital law, due to the vacancy being offered via the internet. In addition, there may be a civil framework, with compensation for the misfortune.

To guide readers to avoid this type of scam, EXTRA spoke with lawyer Matheus Puppe, partner in the TMT (Technology, Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications), Privacy and Data Protection area at Maneira Advogados.

CHECK OUT THE TIPS:

1. What are the patterns of messages involving scams of this kind?

Normally, these scams are announced on physical media, advertising platforms or even sent via WhatsApp or message (email or SMS). The lists for scammers are purchased illicitly on the internet and come from “crawler” robots, which take the information available on Google, also violating the LGPD (General Data Protection Law).

2. How can consumers identify the veracity of advertisements?

Always be suspicious of miraculous promises and values that are disproportionate to the market. Jobs paying one thousand reais or R$2 thousand per hour or period worked would hardly appear via message. Furthermore, messages leave digital traces, such as strange origin numbers and spelling and formatting errors, among other problems.

You need to have common sense and know how to check content. Did you receive an offer? Search Google for more information about the company or the vacancy. Legitimate opportunities will typically be available through other channels. Picking up the company's phone number on another channel and calling to check if there is a job opportunity also works.

3. What are the risks?

In addition to the risks of financial scams and the misuse of your data for irregular transactions, there are offers that are genuine but not legitimate.

In these cases, the person may become involved in illicit schemes (such as promises of “jobs” to receive Pix from third parties on their account, often arising from other crimes where the person becomes a criminal and then also commits a crime).

4. What can happen to those who “sign up”? Does the end of year season pose an additional risk?

The person may have their social networks hacked, their phone or WhatsApp cloned, or they may be inadvertently involved in a crime, causing various financial or even criminal problems.

The end of the year is the favorite time for scammers, given the greater volume of money circulating (due to the 13th salary), in addition to expectations of temporary vacancies.

Be careful because the phone and messaging apps, in addition to email and other digital forms, have opened up a new world of opportunities for scams and illicit schemes.

https://extra.globo.com/economia-e-financas/emprego/golpe-do-emprego-com-promessa-de-altos-ganhos-como-se-prevenir-de-falsos-anuncios-no-whatsapp-25619649.html