We recently received a complaint about a scam that targeted job seekers, preying on their hope for legitimate employment opportunities. The scam began when a victim, actively searching for job openings, was approached by an individual on Telegram who claimed to have a job offer. They also requested to send money via cryptocurrency and the victim was provided with a cryptocurrency address – 0x643e98EceB1c0129E2E9a643fBCAdA47c3B5294a. This person inquired if the victim was still looking for employment and, upon confirmation, introduced them to a so-called “mentor.” The offer appeared to be connected to MGM, with a supposed need for individuals to submit movie reviews as part of an SEO marketing campaign. Each review promised a small profit, but the scam included a twist—the concept of “superior” movies that could yield significantly higher earnings, provided an upfront deposit was made to unlock the review.

The victim initially worked without issue and started submitting movie reviews. After a few days, they began encountering these “superior” movies that required deposits before allowing access to further reviews and eventual withdrawals. The setup was designed to build trust before escalating demands. After completing 28 movie submissions, which was purportedly the threshold for withdrawal eligibility, the victim encountered a request for a substantial deposit to handle the final “superior” movie. The victim secured approximately $5000, trusting this would be the last hurdle, only to be hit with another demand, this time for an additional $14,300. Under the belief that this would truly be the last step, the victim borrowed funds and made the deposit.

However, upon transferring the amount, the situation worsened. The account was suddenly frozen, and a new demand for another $14,300 surfaced, under the pretext that the prior payment had taken too long to process. The scammers then refused to release the funds or refund any of the deposits, leaving the victim with significant financial losses and no recourse.

This situation underscores the sophisticated tactics used to exploit job seekers by creating a sense of urgency and false assurances. The pattern of continual deposit requests under different pretenses is a hallmark of financial scams. The website used, https://mgm-genius.com/, should be approached with extreme caution.

If you encounter a similar situation where deposits are required to access supposed earnings, it is most likely a scam. Always verify job offers through trusted channels and be wary of unsolicited opportunities that involve prepayments or deposits.