Fraudulent Transcription Scheme Uncovered by Kaspersky Lab

Researchers from Kaspersky Lab have uncovered a fraudulent scheme offering users the opportunity to make money transcribing audio recordings. The goal of the attackers is to extort money from unsuspecting victims.
The scammers created several websites with identical designs and contact information, but with different names. These sites offer users the chance to “do a job that a computer can’t do – recognize audio files and get paid for it.” The recordings include public speeches, seminars, court hearings, interviews, and lectures.
The attackers entice potential victims with promises of high income, career growth, and a flexible schedule. They claim that tasks can be completed at any time of the day, and all that is needed is access to the Internet and knowledge of the Russian language.
To further entice victims, the attackers post information on websites about how much money platform users can earn per day – allegedly, on average, about 3,000-4,000 thousand rubles. One of the sites indicated that in four months of the service’s operation, almost 5,000 people had registered and been paid more than $200,000 in total. The cost of payments for a specific task is also indicated in dollars, suggesting that the scammers may be using the scheme outside of Russia, using automatic translation and changing individual elements of site content.
The authors also note that the platform has an affiliate system – users can invite friends and receive a percentage of their earnings. This is likely an attempt to get users to spread scam links among their contacts.
The victim needs to register on the portal in order to allegedly start making money on transcription. After registration, they are given access to the platform, with instructions and answers to frequently asked questions. After registration, users are asked to transcribe several audio tracks and submit the text for verification. But then, when a person wants to withdraw their earnings, the service asks them to verify their account and deposit 500 rubles. In the end, the victim, of course, will not receive any money.