A job hunter warns people to be cautious after losing £6,000 from clicking on a TikTok advert claiming he could earn thousands.
After losing his job, Omar Al Selk was unemployed and came across an advert on TikTok for an employment opportunity that required no experience. The ad claimed he could earn thousands of pounds online. Whilst out of work, Omar thought it would be worth a try, not knowing he was falling into the hands of scammers.
What happened to Omar?
Omar clicked on the advert and completed the relevant details. He then received a WhatsApp message supposedly from a recruiter at a Czech marketing company called Clickaine.
The recruiter messaged Omar for a ‘data provider user’ role and told him he could earn up to £4,650 per month plus commission for just one hour’s work per day. Taking part in an initial online training course, Omar was then added to a WhatsApp group with whom he thought were his new colleagues. Online tasks were then sent to the group to be completed, including clicking on pop-up windows to boost app rankings.
Omar was asked to deposit a small amount of money in cryptocurrency before completing the online tasks. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that allows people to make payments directly to each other through an online system. Omar was advised that he would receive his commission and the money he had invested after completing these tasks. His earnings would be paid through a cryptocurrency account in Tether, a type of stablecoin linked to the US dollar.
The deposits he made started to increase and soon turned into thousands of pounds, which left Omar turning to family and friends to help fund them. His first deposit was £30 and was returned to his cryptocurrency account, where he received £48.69 in commission. He was shown how to easily take out the money from the crypto account, so he continued to pay in money and complete tasks over the next few days, but the deposits started increasing rapidly, reaching £3100.
When the next demand was £8000, Omar knew he could not afford to continue and suspected he had been scammed. He was unable to withdraw the money he had deposited and lost £6,000 in total.
Omar shared his experience on TikTok to warn people to be vigilant as scammers use social media to target the unemployed. His message was clear: the job was “too good to be true”.
Omar reported Clickaine to his bank, Monzo, as well as Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre.
Clickaine, a genuine company based in Prague, has denied any wrongdoing. It said it has no affiliation with Omar or the employment scam and will take legal action against any fraudsters who misuse their name.
What is an employment scam?
+ −Employment scams target vulnerable people seeking employment. They usually involve a victim applying for a job and then being asked to pay money for things such as equipment, courses, or, in a similar way to Omar, performing tasks to earn money.
In most cases, the scammers convince their victims to transfer more and more money, giving them access to fake investment sites or cryptocurrency wallets, which appear to show the ‘income’ they will be due. These accounts are under the scammers’ control and many victims report that they are unable to withdraw money, at which point the scammer disappears, taking all the money and leaving the victim out of pocket.
Employment scams are a type of Authorised Push Payment (APP) Fraud where victims are conned into transferring money to fraudsters, believing a money-making opportunity is genuine. The scammers use clever social engineering techniques to bypass the banks’ security checks, including the questions about what the payments are for. The fraudsters then transfer the money into another account, solely in their control, often overseas, making it nearly impossible to trace or recover.
What do I do if I have been a victim of an employment scam?
+ −If you have lost money due to an employment scam, you should notify Action Fraud, your bank, and the police immediately. This may start a criminal investigation into the fraud.
After your bank looks into the matter, you might be eligible for a refund; however, this isn’t guaranteed because the money has already been sent and they may blame you for authorising the payments. If your bank hasn’t done enough to safeguard you against fraud, they can be held accountable for your losses. The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), is an independent government-backed organisation that handles consumer disputes with financial institutions like banks, if you have lost money in an employment push payment scam and your bank is not willing to reimburse you.
TLW Solicitors' view
+ −Sarah Spruce, Legal Director and Head of the Authorised Push Payment Fraud Claims team at TLW Solicitors says:
“We are seeing a worrying increase in enquiries relating to employment scams. Scammers are targeting vulnerable people seeking employment who are worried about their finances. These scams are sophisticated and often arrive through WhatsApp or a social media advert, including TikTok and Instagram. The victims therefore tend to be younger and a little more financially naive. As my team and I keep saying, if a job opportunity like Omar’s pops up on your social media feed, and it seems ‘too good to be true’, then it generally is!!
“Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed if you have fallen victim to one of these clever scams; you are not alone, and specialist help is available. Get in touch with a member of my team for a no-obligation discussion to see if you are eligible to make a ‘no win, no fee’ refund claim.”
TLW Solicitors can help
+ −TLW Solicitors has a dedicated, specialist APP Fraud team that has successfully secured compensation for many clients, including victims of employment scams.
If you or someone close to you has been a victim of an employment scam, or other Authorised Push Payment fraud, please get in touch with TLW Solicitors for an initial consultation. You can call us on 0800 169 5925, email info@tlwsolicitors.co.uk, or use one of the contact forms below.
Getting advice as soon as possible is essential, as strict time limits can apply.
Minimum case values apply.
Meet the Team
Meet Sarah, Legal Director at TLW Solicitors.
Sarah and her colleagues are on hand to help with your claim.
