Fraudulent schemes called Trouva-c2c.com and Trouva-o2o-com have finally collapsed this week after the scams were allowed to run rampant for months and consequently duped many South Africans into investing.
The Trouva-c2c.com scam, according to Policy Analysis South Africa exploited the name of a legitimate e-commerce marketplace website in the United Kingdom and therefore also positioned itself as a business based in the UK.
According to Google Trends data, the scam started in April and had its major peaks in May, July and September 2024.
How did the initial scam work?
According to Malewaretips.com, Trouva-c2c.com is a website that is part of an elaborate job scam.
“This scam operation involves using messaging apps to contact targets with fake job offers, directing them to complete various tasks on Trouva-c2c.com, and extracting upfront fees from them under false pretences,” Thomas Orsolya, an expert at malewaretips.com said.
Orsolya said that the scam begins when a target receives an unsolicited message via WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook or a text message, from a person posing as a recruiter at a well-known company.
“The message convincingly states that they saw the recipient’s resume online and would like to discuss an open position that seems like a great fit. If the target expresses interest, the recruiter responds with details about a vague but enticing work-from-home job, boasting high hourly wages for easy tasks,” he explained.
Orsolya said that the victim is then directed to Trouva-c2c.com, which is presented as the training platform in order to get hired.
In reality, this site is a trap and victims are instructed to create accounts and complete mundane repetitive tasks, such as watching videos, clicking links, filling out forms, downloading apps, and even making purchases, according to Orsolya.
“They are awarded small sums like a few cents or dollars for each completed task, reinforcing the illusion that persevering on the platform will eventually result in the advertised high earnings.
“However, after grinding through the basic tasks, victims are soon informed they must purchase upgrades and pay escalating upfront fees to unlock higher value tasks necessary to reach the elevated pay levels originally promised“.
He said that these upgrades can cost hundreds or even thousands and victims are manipulated into paying the exponentially increasing fees through psychological tactics and false promises.
Another Trouva scam
There also seems to be another Trouva scam under the name “Trouva-o2o-com” targeting South Africans.
The scam does not seem to be related to possible job opportunities but wants people to invest in the scheme and promises large payouts.
Facebook user, Tristan Van Tonder called the scheme a scam and cautioned people against investing in it.
“Hey everyone, if anyone ever says to you to join this Trouva and that you make money and what you invest. It is a scheme that is a scam. Do not join it. I joined and the scheme fell apart today. Lost all the money I invested,” he said.
The Trouva application was not allowing withdrawals as of yesterday and in fact, in what seems like a last-ditch effort to fleece more money from their victims the perpetrators wanted clients to pay more money in order to verify the identity of its users.
Users were required to deposit R2,650 to verify their identities but this morning the site could not be reached.
Reaction on social media
Victims of the Trouva-o2o-com scam have been taking to social media to vent their frustration with this scheme.
“We always knew it was a scam, lord knows how everyone else didn’t,” Imtiaz Buckas said on Facebook.
“It's a pyramid scheme/scam,” Christiaan Potgieter also said.
“Bullshit such as this led to my breakup with my gf (girlfriend) I used to date, I told her when you are required to recruit people for you to get money, it is a scam, but she didn’t listen and instead borrowed money from me they ran away and she played the victim until our inevitable breakup,” Kantwana James said.
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