Telegram Job Scam?

[rafaelh727]

I was invited to an interview on Telegram the other day. I did a text interview there and the guy invited me to a job. I was emailed a check for startup money, and now he's wanting me to pay for supplies before I start the job. First was $350 for a Time Tracker, then $500 for these programs; BS1 Accounting Software, Myob Business Essentials Software 2005, For Peach Tree Premium 2010 US Patent Single Users Pack, Simplay Accounting 2009, Adobe Photoshop 52011, Adobe Acrobat 8 2012, Ariba 8 2012ASP 32007, CSS 6 2012, Dreamwaver 7 2011, and HTML 11 2011.

Looking up the programs, I found old discussions on here about people having similar situations and them turning out to be a scam, so I'm thinking this might be the case here. Any advice would be appreciated!

[prestonhunter]

re: "So Idk if it's a scam, or what. I'm guessing it is...?"

It is a scam.

[JoanneP]

Hi Megan,

Did they also mention that they have posted the job here on Upwork? If you see a job that seems suspicious, you can report it to us using the flagging option. You can read more on this help article and also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs. You might also want to check out the information here to learn more about staying safe on Upwork. 

[8d8d3797]

I just went through this almost exactly as you described.

[894e05ec]

Hi, I got almost the same interview today! I told them my name and address, also my bank name. What should I do now? 

[prestonhunter]

Reza:

Don't panic.

There is probably nothing that they can do with just that information alone.

But monitor your bank activity daily.

Keep in mind that scammers are professionals. This is their job. Many use sophisticated software and computer systems. They are accustomed to NOT getting all the information they want from every individual. But they will enter your information into databases with the hope that eventually they can piece together enough information to steal your identity in an effective way.

But don't worry too much about that.

Your information, such as your name and address and bank name - it's already out there. I could probably find out that information if I wanted to just based on what I know about you, if I really wanted to.

So I advise you to not be casual about giving information to scammers. But also: Don't worry about giving limited information to them, like you did today.

Don't change your bank account.

Don't report this to anybody else.

Like I said, don't worry or panic, but keep an eye on your financial accounts.

(Which you should do anyway, even if you didn't encounter a scammer.)

[f9ff7175]

I've seen this on other job sites, but it's the first time I've seen it here. Didn't take long to find this thread and see it's been happening for years here as well. The required response of "YES I AM" likely triggers a bot to respond with the invitation to a Telegram interview.

Hey Upwork, I'm new here. What are the chances of having my Connects refunded? That'd be swell!

**Edited for community guidelines**

[data_divas]

Flag the job post, if it's taken down your connects are automatically returned.

[f9ff7175]

Thank you!

[osama_minhas_786]

Turning out to be a scam.