I've been asked by several members to:
- Repost this in Meta
- Request that this be pinned in Collectibles, Hardware & Digital Goods (it's been posted in all 3 now)
Original thread:
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/urgent-beware-sophisticated-telegram-scammers-5322537====
All,
Highly-sophisticated (and probably organized) scammers are closely monitoring the Collectibles section and targeting members of this forum via Telegram, and everyone needs to be aware and vigilant.
From what I have observed thus far, these sophisticated scammers fit the following profile:
Scammer Profile- Use actual names of the forum members they are purporting to be; e.g. they will create a Telegram account with the name "blucepheus" and identify themselves as such
- Reference other items for sale by that individual so as to seem more legitimate; "take a look at my others items also -- here are some pics"
- Aware of current auctions and listings in this forum, and conversations that are occurring within each thread; they look for opportunities to "piggy back" off of a conversation so as to seem legitimate
- Well-versed in the terminology we use and processes we employ, such as escrow, in the Collectibles section
- Well-versed in the names and nicknames of our escrows, e.g. they will refer to minerjones as 'MJ'
- Knowledgeable in crypto and can "talk the talk"; they will make smalltalk discussing various types of collectibles and interests so as to build trust and rapport
- May spread the conversation out over multiple days so as not to spook you
- Use a lot of emojis to lighten the conversation and build trust
- Once they receive BTC to the wallet address specified, may instantly vanish and delete the conversation
- Once they are spooked (e.g. you call them out, or inform them you want to move the conversation to PM), will do the same
Members of this forum, newbies especially, are falling victim to these scams on a weekly if not daily basis, and are being scammed out of significant amounts of Bitcoin. The more members that fall for it, the more motivated this group will be to grow in size and in the sophistication of the techniques they employ.
They are ruthless. In fact, they exploited a member of this forum just today out of $1,500 in
BTC in a
charity auction.Tips for Protecting Yourself- Ensure your Telegram username does not match your name on Bitcointalk. It only takes a moment to change your username!
- Don't use Telegram for any communication pertaining to Collectibles transactions. If approached by someone purporting to be a member of this forum, request they contact you via PM
- Use a trusted escrow from this forum, and only communicate with the escrow via PM, not Telegram
- If a deal seems too good to be true, it is
- Do not provide personal identifying information via Telegram, including your real name and/or address
- Validate the identity of the person you are chatting with on Telegram, even if they are not approaching you about an immediate transaction. They may engage in casual conversation over days, weeks or months before finally asking if you'd like to purchase something. You may then find out that they were never who you thought they were
- SLOW DOWN. Do not impulsively send someone BTC. If you look close enough and take time to reflect, there are red flags despite the sophistication of these scammers
And since I know these scammers will be reading this message within the next minute:
F*%$ off. We're smarter than you, and we'll prove it.
Hold your
BTC tight, and remain vigilant.
-bc
