New text message steals cryptocurrencies from New Yorkers seeking remote jobs

New York Attorney General Latitia James has revealed a text message scam targeting New York residents looking for remote jobs. 

In a press release on 9 January, the Attorney General’s office said scammers have been sending text messages offering fake online job opportunities.

In response to this, James has filed a lawsuit to recover a total of $2.2 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen from New Yorkers.and held in digital wallets of scammers. 

How the scam works

The Attorney General’s office has been investigating the scam with the U.S. Secret Service and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office.

They found that the scammers asked unsuspecting job seekers to buy and deposit stablecoins into their digital wallets and then review products on fake websites that looked like legitimate brands.

Commenting on the scam, Attorney General James said:

“Deceiving New Yorkers looking to take on remote work and earn money to support their families is cruel and unacceptable. Scammers sent text messages to New Yorkers promising them good-paying, flexible jobs only to trick them into purchasing cryptocurrency and then stealing it from them. 

In response, the Attorney General has frozen cryptocurrency stolen from defrauded victims and is asking that the scammers pay penalties, restitution, and damages. 

James also intends to permanently stop the scammers from advertising or sending unsolicited text messages in New York.  

The cryptocurrency that has been frozen thanks to my office will be available to help New Yorkers defrauded by this scam. I urge all New Yorkers to be cautious of text messages from unknown senders claiming to offer jobs or other opportunities, and to report any scams to my office.”

Crypto scams are quite common, especially during bull cycles when scammers know that many who don’t understand crypto get into the space and become easy targets for them. 

Attorney James has over the years been at the forefront of fighting crypto scams, and now seeks to become the first government regulator to provide notice of litigation to the scammers using an NFT.