Naved Alam, a 22-year-old crypto trader from Pune, lost Rs 2.5 lakh after downloading a fraudulent app recommended by someone posing as a potential employer online. Mr Alam recounted the incident in a post on X.
"Recently, I fell victim to a scam on Twitter and lost $3000. Sharing my story to raise awareness and prevent others from going through the same ordeal," Mr Alam wrote on X.
In a subsequent post, he shared screenshots of his chat and wrote, "It started with a promising opportunity - @crankybugatti on Twitter reached out to me regarding a design role in a company related to a web3 communication app called @SocialSpectra"
Mr Alam revealed that the conversation soon moved to Discord, where things seemed legitimate. "Basic design questions were asked, and they even seemed impressed with my work," he shared.
Mr Alam then received a call from the HR. "Then came the request for an HR call, and I was provided with a link to join. Little did I know, it was a trap."
Mr Alam downloaded what he thought was an in-house communication app for the call. Instead, malware drained his crypto wallet and liquidated his staked assets. "In a matter of moments, I lost $3000 to scammers who prey on unsuspecting individuals looking for legitimate opportunities."
See the post here:
Mr Alam in a subsequent post said that this experience has taught him to be more vigilant and cautious online. "Always verify the authenticity of job offers and never download anything unless you're absolutely sure of its source."
He added, "Please be careful as they are targeting designers and developers or any working professional."
Internet users also shared their experiences with online scams.
A user wrote, "Faced a similar scam lost all my assets. It's tough to move on and belief in crypto again."
Another user wrote, "I am sorry for you bro. I have encountered the same guy, the application got crashed on my pc so couldn't join the hr call, he said it's my fault that I didn't join call so have raise another ticket , have sensed something fishy there and immediately uninstalled it from my pc."
"Take care man. Move your other funds from other wallets to somewhere safe," suggested a user.
"This dude reached out to me too. I procrastinated when he redirected me to discord, and then forgot about it. Procrastination saved my assets. Sorry for your loss dude. Stay safe out there," the fourth user wrote.
"Bro he texted me about doing a security audit for their project. I am literally a noob and barely know any solidity. I told him sorry can't do. I think I then ghosted the guy lol. And we've blocked each other at this point," the fifth user commented.
