Polygraph, a Berlin-based company that investigates cyber-crime gangs, has identified a new scam which is manipulating English teachers living abroad.
This is how it starts: the criminals locate American English teachers using sources such as expat websites, job sites and even classified ads for a flatmate. The fraudsters extend a genuine- sounding job offer which involves fronting US-based companies that generate income through online advertisements.
“The criminals pretend they’re ordinary business people who need US citizens to get around trade barriers that are preventing them from operating in North America,” says Trey Vanes, chief marketing officer for Polygraph. “But the real explanation is they need Americans to legitimise their scams and be the scapegoats for when their criminal activities are discovered.”
What happens next is that the English teacher is told to create a company in the US and to contact US-based advertising networks to open what is known as a ‘publisher’ account. This kind of account enables the criminals to place adverts on their fraudulent websites, with a small fee earned every time an ad is clicked. The criminals use ‘bots’ – software which simulates humans online – to repeatedly click on the ads, resulting in massive amounts of money being stolen from US advertisers. At the end of each month, the English teacher receives a payment from the advertising network, which he or she then transfers to the criminals.
According to Vanes, the scam is known as ‘click fraud’ and is estimated to cost advertisers an incredible US$68 billion each year.
Whether the teachers recognise they’re participating in criminal activities is an unanswered question. They may be paid a flat salaryfromthecriminals,butthey may also receive a share of the take – up to five figures monthly. “In tracking the machinations of
“Polygraph has interviewed some duped teachers who were collecting US$40,000 every month”
the fraud scheme, Polygraph has interviewed some duped teachers who were collecting US$40,000 every month,” says Vanes. “That kind of money must certainly raise red flags with them.”
The risks to the English teacher are not insignificant. Click fraud is a crime and when the fake clicks are eventually discovered by the advertising network, the teacher may face prosecution. “Even if the teacher believed they were fronting a genuine business, the fact that it’s their company doing the fraud and they were paid handsomely for it puts them at risk of criminal prosecution. The criminals disappear while the teacher is left to face the consequences,” Vanes explains. “Luckily, prosecutions are rare, but the risk is still there.”
To avoid getting caught up in the scam, Vanes advises teachers to beware of job offers from strangers. “If a stranger contacts you out of the blue with a job offer, you need to be on high alert,” he says. “Unless the person is from an established recruitment agency, and their identity can be verified, you should assume it’s a trick. Additionally, you should steer clear of anyone who asks you to front a business in the US, especially if it involves any online advertising.”
According to Polygraph’s own research, there are hundreds of English teachers who have been duped by the scam. “The criminals are constantly looking for English teachers to front their scam websites. This is a necessity, as the advertising networks eventually discover the fraud, resulting in the English teacher being blacklisted. To keep the scam going, the criminals recruit new victims and start afresh.”
If you believe you’ve been tricked into operating click fraud websites for a criminal gang, Polygraph can provide advice and assistance, including how to exit the scam. Contact Polygraph at team@polygraph. net or via the contact page at https://polygraph.net.
