18 Telegram scams: How to avoid them and protect yourself

What is a Telegram scam?

A Telegram scam is a scheme that’s conducted primarily through Telegram, though in some cases, the interaction may take place in other platforms once the initial contact is established. While the specifics of each scheme can differ depending on what the criminal is after, Telegram scams typically aim to extort money or pressure victims into performing other financial transactions and favors. 

How does a Telegram scam work?

Telegram scams work differently depending on the scheme, but it generally unfolds like this:

1. The criminal makes contact with the targeted victim through Telegram, often after the victim has joined a public Telegram group or been instructed to install the app for communication.
2. The criminal gains the targeted person’s trust or cooperation through social engineering tactics, coercion, or blackmail.
3. The criminal persuades the person to either send some money or disclose sensitive information about themselves.
4. Once the victim has given up either money or information, the criminal deletes their Telegram profile.

18 common types of scams on Telegram

If you’re an active Telegram user, keep an eye out for the following situations or conversations. These scenarios are some of the most common Telegram scams that you can encounter on the app.

1. Romance scams

Romance scams are a preferred tactic among scammers because they can be extremely lucrative, both in terms of financial gain and access to personal information. These scams involve establishing a romantic connection with the target, then using that relationship for cyber extortion, financial favors, or blackmail.

In some cases, these scams are highly elaborate, often involving tactics like identity theft to make the scammer appear more legitimate. Scammers may also use catfishing or social engineering to make their narratives more believable. The end goal is often to extort as much money from the victim as possible.

2. Fake job scams

Some Telegram scammers will try to impersonate hiring agents or companies offering seemingly high-paying job opportunities. Their goal is to persuade their targets to give up their financial and personal information under the guise of employment verification or onboarding procedures.

In reality, scammers will use this personal information (like bank details or Social Security numbers) to extort the victim or commit identity fraud. In certain cases, it can also lead to the victim being falsely implicated in check fraud or other similar schemes.

3. Fake Telegram channels

Telegram scammers will try to impersonate well-known Telegram channels with the intent of finding more potential victims to target. These channels are often unsupervised and may have lax or non-existent rules for entry, which encourages more people to join.

One of the best ways to identify fake Telegram channels is to carefully examine the channel’s name and cross-check it against the official account or group it’s claiming to be. Other warning signs include little to no user activity despite having hundreds of members or automated messages that flood the group chat.

4. Fake support scams

Fake support scams occur when a criminal impersonates a Telegram support representative or someone in a similar customer service role. These scammers attempt to convince their targets to provide sensitive information related to their Telegram or other online accounts, often under the pretense of fixing a technical issue.

Once the scammer obtains access, they’ll immediately lock the victim out of these accounts and use them for impersonation or blackmail. In some fake support schemes, scammers encourage users to click links that install malware on their devices or send them files containing malicious code or software.

5. Giveaway scams

Giveaway scams exploit the appeal of offers and prizes to encourage users to click on links or give up personally identifiable information. These scams typically target large groups of users and involve impersonating a well-known individual or organization (like a lottery organization) to make their message appear credible.

A key method for identifying giveaway scams is to consider whether you’ve signed up for any giveaways. Legitimate companies rarely conduct random giveaways, and winners are usually notified only after consenting to participate. If you get a giveaway offer without engaging or registering, it’s most likely a scam.

6. Fake gift card scams

Gift cards are a common tool used by scammers to move money around quickly since they can easily be converted into cash or sellable goods. In fake gift card scams, the criminal will often instruct the target to either buy a fake gift card or to redeem a gift card on the scammer’s behalf.

Once they have the gift card details or the money has been transferred, the conversation immediately ends. At this point, the victim may have lost money or been implicated in money laundering or other forms of financial fraud.

7. Lottery scams

Like giveaway scams, lottery scams also use offers that seem too good to be true to lure their targeted victims into a trap and get their personal information. Lottery scams are particularly effective because they promise financial gain, which can make targets of the scam more susceptible to disclosing sensitive financial or personal data.

A reliable way to avoid falling victim to lottery scams is to ignore all unsolicited messages related to lotteries. Legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes would never use Telegram to contact you.

8. Impersonation scams

Telegram scammers can pose as people you know — typically a family member, friend, or colleague — to acquire information they can later use to impersonate you in return. An effective way to protect yourself against this type of scam is to verify their identity and cross-check with the person or company they’re trying to impersonate through another channel.

These types of scams pressure you to act fast, ensuring that you don’t get enough time to think about the ramifications of your actions. Some scams can also be highly sophisticated, often using AI-generated videos and content to appear authentic and convincing at first glance.

9. Cryptocurrency scams

Cryptocurrency is a high-risk and highly volatile industry. Scammers exploit this environment by encouraging victims to invest in a cryptocurrency of their choosing. They’ll then use tactics like “rug pulls” or pump-and-dump schemes and quickly take the money from investors.

These types of scammers may also engage in blackmail or extort their victims and demand payment through cryptocurrency. Losses incurred from this type of scheme can be extremely difficult to recover since cryptocurrency transactions are generally irreversible.

10. Investment scams

Some Telegram scammers will encourage you to invest in a service, product, or opportunity in return for significant financial gain. Once the victim has made an initial investment, the criminal will usually pressure them to send additional funds with the promise of ever-increasing returns.

These investment scams can appear particularly convincing, sometimes incorporating other content like testimonial videos or even using another Telegram account to create the illusion of legitimacy. 

11. Fake charity scams

Some scammers will impersonate charitable organizations in an attempt to get unsuspecting users to donate. These types of scams often become more common in the aftermath of natural disasters, taking advantage of people’s goodwill and the urgency of the situation to appear credible.

12. Account takeover scams

In account takeover scams, criminals impersonate a customer support representative looking to help you with your account. Alternatively, the scammer may pose as a hacker claiming to have taken control of your other accounts. The goal of these scams is to persuade victims to disclose their account credentials, which the scammer can then use to take full control of the account.

13. Fake product sales

Some scammers pretend to be retailers or resellers of in-demand products or devices, especially high-end tech like iPhones or laptops. They’ll then claim to be able to sell you these products at a discount, persuading you to pay upfront, only to disappear without delivering the item. These scams rely on the targeted person’s interest in a deal and the seller’s perceived credibility.

14. Membership fee scams

Like fake product sales, some scammers will offer discounted memberships for gyms, online services, or other promotional offers. They’ll then attempt to obtain personal or financial information from their targets to “approve” their membership or convince them to make a down payment on the supposed discounted fee.

15. Fake ad scams

With this type of scam, criminals advertise discounted products or services that require a small upfront payment for the target to qualify for the full discount. These scams are common because even modest payments from many victims can quickly accumulate, making the scam highly profitable over time. By exploiting the appeal of bargains and the trust that users place in online ads, scammers can target a wide audience effectively.

16. Blackmail and extortion scams

Blackmail and extortion scams pressure targets into quickly giving up money or personal information, often under the threat of releasing incriminating content unless demands are met. These scams frequently employ social engineering tactics to further scare the potential victim into compliance. Many of these schemes also overlap with AI scams since scammers use AI to fabricate highly convincing content.

17. Scareware scams

Scareware scams involve scammers impersonating legitimate security alerts to manipulate targeted individuals into taking immediate action, like clicking a link that either sends them to a phishing website or installs malware on their device. These scams rely on scaring and pressuring users to take actions that can compromise their identity or device.

18. Data harvesting bots

Some Telegram scammers use automated tools, like AI, to impersonate actual people. The objective is to collect personal information from individuals, which can then be used to impersonate them or facilitate further scams.

What to do if you've already fallen victim to a Telegram scam

The risk of encountering and falling for specific types of Telegram scams may vary depending on your online behavior. However, the overall risk never fully disappears.

If you’ve fallen victim to a Telegram scam, begin with these four immediate steps:

Prevent further engagement

Telegram scammers will usually delete their accounts once they’ve gotten what they want from you. However, they may still try to contact or threaten you through other channels, depending on the information you’ve given them.

It’s crucial to stop engaging in further communications with suspected scammers. Block and report any suspicious Telegram users who contact you, especially those who offer to “help” you with your recent losses. These individuals are likely the same scammers who are looking for ways to further exploit your vulnerability.

Secure your account

If you plan to keep using your Telegram account, you should enable all security features, like two-factor authentication, to add an extra layer of protection. In addition, ensure that you follow safe online practices, such as not trusting random messages from unknown users and avoiding clicking on any links sent to you through Telegram.

Inform other users

Some Telegram users fall victim to scams after joining public Telegram channels and interacting with other members. If you’re part of a group, inform the rest of the users that a scammer is active and targeting channel members. In some cases, notifying the community is enough to discourage scammers from continuing their activities or targeting your group on Telegram, at least temporarily.

Monitor your personal information

After a Telegram scam, it’s critical to monitor your personal information and finances. Make sure to update compromised credentials immediately and check all accounts for unusual activity. Inform your friends, family, and regulatory agencies that you’ve been a victim of a Telegram scam.

Being compromised once doesn’t mean that you won’t be targeted again, especially if crucial information like your phone number has been distributed on the dark web. Be on the lookout for incoming messages on your phone or email since scammers may now target you with spam text messages or phone scams. 

How to protect yourself from Telegram scams

The most effective way to protect yourself from scams on Telegram (and similar online threats) is to be more discerning about the details you share and the behaviors you adopt online.

Some practical steps you can take to protect yourself from Telegram scams include:

• Ensuring that all of your contacts on Telegram are screened and trusted.
• Ignoring messages from strangers.
• Limiting the information you share on Telegram.
• Avoiding joining large, public, and unmoderated Telegram groups and channels.
• Not linking your Telegram account to any personally identifiable information.
• Not disclosing sensitive information, such as bank details, Social Security number, or passwords, to anyone on Telegram.

Being aware of the risks can decrease your likelihood of falling victim to Telegram scams. Learning about what to do when your identity is stolen or how to protect your personal information can also go a long way toward preventing Telegram scams and minimizing their potential impact if they do happen.

Adopting a proactive approach to online protection can further strengthen your defenses. You can use identity theft protection services like NordProtect to continuously monitor the dark web for leaked personal data and track your credit activity for potential signs of fraud or identity theft.