Telegram job scams trap young job seekers

As Bangladesh embraces digitalisation and introduces an increasing number of digital services and apps aimed at reducing public suffering, technology is also creating new opportunities for criminals.

Among the emerging threats are online job scams targeting people looking for part-time income-particularly students, fresh graduates and young job seekers.

For someone who has recently completed an undergraduate degree and is looking for a flexible source of income, a message promising easy work from home can appear to be an opportunity worth exploring. A few clicks, a few simple online tasks and the promise of quick payment can make an unfamiliar offer surprisingly convincing.

But for an increasing number of people in Bangladesh, such offers are turning into costly traps.
Telegram-based job scams are emerging as a growing concern, with fraudsters using messaging platforms to lure victims with promises of part-time employment, commissions and high returns.

According to Bangladesh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in September 2026, two people were arrested over an alleged Telegram-based job scam in which a man was reportedly defrauded of Tk 94.19 lakh.

The victim was reportedly approached through Telegram with a job offer linked to a jewellery company. After showing interest, he was directed to a phishing link and a fake website, where the fraudsters allegedly persuaded him to make increasingly large payments, according to the case documents.

The case, however, is far from isolated.

How the scam works
In one pattern identified by the CID, scammers first approached a victim through an unknown WhatsApp number and offered him a work-from-home opportunity.

The victim was initially given small online tasks. After completing them, he received a small payment through bKash and other mobile financial services. These initial payments helped create a sense of trust.

He was later added to a Telegram group where other members appeared to be earning large amounts of money, according to the CID.

The pattern is significant because the fraud does not necessarily begin with an obvious demand for a large sum of money.

Instead, trust is built gradually.
Small tasks and small payments can make the opportunity appear genuine. Once a victim believes that the system works, scammers may introduce larger tasks or investment requirements. The victim may then be told that additional payments are needed before commissions or earnings can be withdrawn.

At that point, a victim who has already invested money may be reluctant to walk away. Scammers can exploit that hesitation by demanding further payments, often claiming that the money is needed to unlock profits, complete a task or process a withdrawal.

The strategy can be particularly effective against students, young job seekers and people looking for flexible employment.

The appeal is simple: earn money from home without extensive experience or a lengthy recruitment process.
More than a money scam
The threat is not limited to financial losses.

Fraudulent job offers can also expose victims to phishing websites and attempts to obtain sensitive personal or financial information. A seemingly harmless link can lead users to a fake website designed to collect login credentials, banking information or other data.

The question for many victims is therefore not only how much money they may lose, but how much personal information they may have exposed with a single click.

Cybersecurity expert and former member of the Judicial Reform Commission Quazi Mahfujul Hoque Supan told The New Nation that the technology itself is not the fundamental problem.

“There is no problem with money transaction apps. The problem is the awareness of those who use them. Cyber awareness needs to be increased,” he said.

Supan also criticised the response victims receive after seeking help from law enforcement agencies.
“There are no clear and publicly accessible formal procedures explaining where victims should file complaints or what legal action they can expect after reporting a cybercrime,” he said.

According to him, victims are not adequately informed about where they should lodge complaints or what kind of action authorities will take after a complaint is filed.

He also pointed to a lack of publicly available data and documentation showing the outcomes of cybercrime cases-including whether arrested suspects are ultimately convicted and what punishment is imposed.

Supan further said Bangladesh lacks adequate legislation to effectively address many of the emerging challenges associated with digital and cyber-related fraud.

He called for stronger cyber-awareness programmes, clearer procedures for reporting cybercrime, greater transparency in the prosecution of offenders and appropriate legal reforms to protect victims and ensure accountability.

Telegram is only the channel
The technology itself, however, is not necessarily the central problem.
Telegram is simply being used as a communication channel. The real danger lies in fraudulent identities, fake websites, fabricated earnings and psychological pressure to transfer money.

For anyone receiving an unexpected online job offer, several warning signs should immediately raise suspicion.

Promises of unrealistically high or quick income, requests for money before receiving genuine work, pressure to make increasingly large payments and demands for sensitive financial information are all red flags.

The most important rule is simple: a job should provide an income, not require the applicant to keep paying money to unlock that income.

As online employment becomes increasingly popular in Bangladesh, digital literacy is becoming just as important as traditional job skills.

The desire to earn independently is understandable, particularly when many people are searching for flexible sources of income. But an attractive opportunity arriving through a phone screen is not automatically a genuine one.

For young people entering the job market, the first step towards earning online may therefore need to be something much less attractive-but far more important: learning how to recognise a scam before clicking the link.