As advertisements luring people with promises of "guaranteed high income on the same day" and "work-from-home jobs suitable for beginners" have surged on social media (SNS) and platforms like Naver Band, many job seekers are suffering serious damages. In particular, advertisements recruiting massage therapists, such as those for "massage part-time jobs" or "Swedish massage part-time jobs," have recently increased rapidly. Taking advantage of the economic downturn and job shortage, these advertisements disguise themselves as legitimate employment opportunities; however, they are often traps that cause massive financial losses, lead to the physical restraint of job seekers, or turn them into accomplices in crimes.
I will explain the specific risks involved and how to deal with them safely.
1. Current Status of Major Risks of High Wage Bait Advertisements
Fraudulent advertisements currently trending on SNS and Band fall into two main categories, and the impact on victims is often devastating. First, 'Team Mission and Shopping Mall Side Job Scams' that extort money (Financial Damage)
They typically lure victims by promising commissions for writing reviews on fake shopping malls or completing group purchase missions. Initially, they build trust by depositing small amounts of actual compensation, after which they propose 'team missions' that require increasingly large sums of money. They pressure victims by claiming that they must purchase expensive items or deposit a security deposit with other team members (accomplices acting as decoys) to receive a refund; this tactic involves forcing victims to deposit millions to tens of millions of won before disappearing.
Second, 'Voice Phishing Collection and Dummy Account Recruitment' that turns you into a criminal accomplice (Risk of Legal Punishment)
These are advertisements offering 300,000 won per day for simply running errands or collecting transaction payments. Following instructions, victims are tasked with meeting strangers to collect cash or transferring money deposited into their own accounts to other locations. This is 100% a process of laundering funds from voice phishing or illegal gambling. Even if a job seeker pleads their innocence, claiming they thought it was merely an errand, they could be arrested as a flagrant offender or sentenced to prison for aiding and abetting fraud or violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act, leaving a fatal stain on their life.
2. Wise and Safe Response Strategies
These are guidelines for avoiding falling into such traps and for quickly escaping if you are already implicated.
**Suspicion and Verification**
You must immediately suspect any conditions that do not make sense from a common-sense perspective. There is no such thing as an advertisement promising excessive pay for the work involved when you lack the necessary qualifications or experience. Companies that issue work instructions solely via phone or messengers like KakaoTalk or Telegram, without a formal interview process, are highly likely to be illegitimate businesses. Before applying, you must obtain the hiring company's name, phone number, and business registration number to verify that it is operating legitimately through portal sites or by checking with the National Tax Service.
**Absolutely Prohibit Providing Money or Personal Information**
Under no circumstances can a company demand money from a job seeker first. If you are asked to make an advance payment under the pretext of a deposit, training fee, program purchase fee, or equipment purchase fee, or if you are induced to top up your account on a specific fake site, you must immediately stop communicating with them. Additionally, you must never comply with requests for your password, security card number, or physical debit card under the pretext of verifying your salary account, as this is a scam that leads to the opening of a dummy account.
**Prompt Response When You Realize a Scam**
If you have already deposited money or unidentified funds have been transferred to or from your account, every second counts. Before the chat room is deleted or the site is shut down, you must quickly secure evidence by capturing screenshots of your conversation history with the other party, deposit/withdrawal receipts, and the other party's nickname and account number. Afterward, you must immediately report it to the National Police Agency (112) or the Financial Supervisory Service (1332). In particular, if you are implicated as a money collector for voice phishing, you must actively prove your innocence to the investigative authorities by submitting original, unmanipulated conversation records and job advertisements proving you were unaware of the crime; this is necessary to reduce or avoid the severity of punishment.
