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TripAdvisor is a global brand which crypto scammers are using to dupe people into parting with their cash.
The scam websites and apps being set up take many different forms, but typically involve enticing users to do ‘work’, such as leaving star ratings on holiday websites, in return for ‘commission’.
Initially, it can seem as if the work is being paid and some people who’ve participated in the schemes have managed to withdraw a small amount of cash at the start of the scam.
But most people are caught out when the scammers start asking for payments to be made in order to top up ‘account credit’ which allows them to continue receiving paid tasks to do.
TripAdvisor scammers increase work payments
If users continue to deposit they get given more tasks to do, but the scammers will gradually increase the amount of cash required by the participant to carry on before suddenly blocking access to their account.
The victim will no longer be able to withdraw any funds and the scammers will break off all contact with them.
I’ve had several people contact me about variants of the TripAdvisor work crypto scam, so I’ve decided to include them all on this page to give visitors a quick guide to sites to avoid.
I’ve already written separate posts about the first two on the list below giving more information about exactly how the scam works, which I’ve linked.
Scam sites that are using the TripAdvisor name
The fake TripAdvisor scam site include:
- TripAdvisor Ltd
- TripAdvisor RP (aka Trip-UK)
- TripAdvisorjob
- TripAdvisor UK (the same name is used with various country code top-level domains, or ccTLDs. I’ve heard of four different variants already, but there’s bound to be more)
- TripAdvisor UK VIP
These are just TripAdvisor crypto scams that I’ve heard off but there are certainly a significant number of other sites being used by the scammers.
Scam victims enticed by small withdrawals
One of the reasons this scam keeps catching people out is that the scammers do let some victims make small withdrawals at the outset as a show of faith which lures them into making larger deposits.
While other crypto scammers simply steal deposits and vanish, the crooks involved in the TripAdvisor fake work platforms build confidence before making off with users’ cash.
If you come across one of these sites or hear from a friend or associate that they’re making money through these tasks make sure to avoid getting involved. The only people that will win in the long run are the scammers.
While I’ve been contact by the odd person who has made a successful withdrawal then not returning to the site thus beating the scammers, it’s a fluke occurrence and you never know when your account will be shut down.
You’ll find that the scam sites come and go very quickly, with the scammers shutting them down once they’ve served their purpose.
Google has also been flagging some of the sites as deceptive content, but it clearly can’t keep up with the volume of fake TripAdvisor sites the scammers are producing.
Steer clear of these websites and don’t deposit any money with them. You can also share this post to try to make as many people as possible aware of this scam.
Can I get my money back from the TripAdvisor scammers?
Given how ephemeral these sites are, and the fact that the scammers register them anonymously from various countries around the world, it’s incredibly difficult to trace the culprits.
The best way to protect yourself from financial loss is to avoid these sites in the first place.
There are many things you can do to check if a site is legitimate or not, and you can work your way through this scam checklist I’ve produced to ensure you don’t become the next victim.
This covers things like checking the age of the domain, searching Google for reviews before signing up and having a thorough look around any site you’re planning to use to check the links are valid, the social media channels are active and that app links actually work among other things.
However, if you’ve already lost money to a crypto scam there are specialist crypto recovery firms that may be able to help.
If you suspect a site is fake, get in touch.
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