That text is a scam
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Introducing Odoo. It's the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one, fully integrated platform that makes your work easier. CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, and more. And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. That's why over thousands of businesses have made the switch. So why not you? Try Odoo for free at Odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com.
Hex spam around jobs. Two or three a day. The red flag starts showing up.
For Alex Salmon, it was just a normal day. Until he got the text.
I've been getting these texts basically every day, maybe every couple hours. And yeah, I got one. It was a group text, actually. It was a handful of numbers with Filipino country codes. And it was a wonderful job offer.
Hi there. Sorry to interrupt. I'm from Indeed. We're currently recruiting remote product testers U.S.-based. This role lets you earn $50 to $400 per day.
There's a curiosity, right? It's like, how could this possibly be a real thing? Or who could be on the end of this? Or like, what do they want even?
If you're interested in meet the age requirement, please reply yes to receive more details.
And so I said, yes.
Just yes, that was it?
Yeah. You know, I know how to follow instructions. I just said yes.
We've all gotten these texts. A random recruiter sending a friendly message with an incredible job opportunity to make a lot of money for just a little bit of work.
Hi, I'm Rebecca. I'm Isabella. I'm Daniel. We saw your profile on multiple job boards. Multiple online recruitment agencies.
They could be a great fit for our current part-time remote position. You'll receive $720 after three days of work.
$100 to $500 per day.
$2,000 per week or more.
If you're interested in joining us, please text us at 1-2-7-8-6-6.
The reason you're getting so many is because, unfortunately, they work.
As a veteran, I thought I was pretty immune to the scam. But I got an email saying that you can make all this money working at home. Just send us your information and we'll send you back a check. Check was about $500. And then they wanted $200 back. And I sent them the money, which was through Bitcoin or Amazon cards or whatever. I did that and then... Being scammed can feel really embarrassing.
But you should know that if it's happened to you, you aren't alone. Last year, the FTC received nearly 250,000 reports of tech scams. Americans lost about $500 million to them. I'm Jonquan Hill, and this week on Explain It to Me from Vox, we're going to figure out what the deal is with these scams, how they're pulled off, who's pulling the strings, and what can happen when you take the bait. Now, Alex from earlier, who replied to that text message job offer, he's actually a reporter for Slate, and he said yes to that job so that he could write about it.
When I said yes, when I wanted this job, they were like, someone will reach out to you on WhatsApp and they'll train you.
And that someone went by the name of Kathy. My name is Kathy and I'm a coach from Interleave. I just received a notice from Elena, who works in the recruitment department, that you are looking for a remote part-time job.
She would text me basically every day being like, let's do the training.
Let's get started on this. This is the best version of yourself. Like you're going to realize your wildest dreams.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–4:44
2
What example text message pulled the hosts into this scam investigation?
4:44–7:33
3
How did Alex Salmon respond to a suspicious remote job text and what happened next?
7:33–21:55
4
What did the fake "job" (clicking tasks and crypto pay) actually require workers to do?
21:55–25:55
5
How did the scammers use cryptocurrency and "bumble" payments to extract money?
25:55–32:29