"I Am Interested" ? Reporter Reaches Out Directly... "100% Profit Guaranteed" [Pitfalls of Side Jobs] ②

The Reporter Inquires About Side Jobs Firsthand
"100% Profit Guarantee, Earnings Promised Through Roulette"
Even Minors Fall Victim to Side Job Scams

Editor's NoteWith 650,000 people now engaged in side jobs, many who started side jobs to supplement their livelihoods are losing hope after falling victim to scams disguised as legitimate opportunities. Side job scams are cleverly evading the monitoring systems of both the government and online platforms, resulting in numerous victims. The Asia Business Daily aims to track the spread of side job scams and the suffering of those affected.

"Hello, are you interested in a side job?"

On the 28th of last month, a message arrived on the reporter's KakaoTalk. It was a reply that came two hours after the reporter had contacted a post on the social networking service Instagram via KakaoTalk. Curious about how money could be made, the reporter responded without hesitation.

"Yes, I am interested."

An Instagram post related to side jobs that a reporter from this publication directly contacted on the 28th of last month. The post advertises that you can easily make a lot of money using a mobile phone. Instagram

The reporter began looking into side jobs on Instagram last month. A search for '#sidejob' yields a total of 2.05 million posts. Even searching for '#sidejob inquiry' brings up about 510,000 posts, making it clear that finding side jobs on social media is not difficult.

The posts are generally similar in format. First, they promise an amount far exceeding a typical monthly salary. For example, they claim you can earn 5 million won per month solely from a side job. They also promise that profits will be transferred immediately in cash. Second, the method of making money is described as easy. The initial investment is low, and little time is required. They emphasize that all you need is a mobile phone and that all profits are generated automatically.

"Guaranteed High Profits · Easy Work"

A phrase from one side job-related account caught the eye: "A more relaxed life with just one phone." The post also included a conversation with someone presumed to be an existing participant. When the participant said, "I never imagined such high profits. I started with 7 million won and made over 80 million won in net profit," the side job account replied, "Congratulations on your earnings. You can withdraw the entire amount right now."

A reporter from this publication contacted a side job opportunity through Instagram. When actually reached out, they connected to a different consultation channel. KakaoTalk screenshot

When the reporter contacted the KakaoTalk profile listed in the Instagram account's profile, the other party asked for the reporter's Instagram ID to verify their identity. After the Instagram verification was completed, a new KakaoTalk profile named "Hello" was provided.

"If you contact me here, I will explain everything in detail. This is a 24-hour consultation chat."

The reporter inquired about a side job through Instagram. The consultant explained that by charging points, one could earn profits through gambling games such as roulette. KakaoTalk screenshot

Upon contacting "Hello," a reply came within a minute. "Is this your first time with a side job?" When the reporter said it was, "Same-Day Payment" was introduced as a side job. When asked how the profits were generated, the consultant explained that by charging points, a roulette expert would make profits through online roulette games. The minimum initial amount was 1 million won, and they emphasized that profits could reach five to eight times the principal. When asked if it was possible to charge 10 million won, they changed their answer, saying profits could reach up to ten times in that case.

They also claimed there was no risk of losing money. Since they take a 20% commission from the profits, they guaranteed that profits would be made. They added that even if any disadvantages such as involvement in crime occurred, they would take full responsibility.

The website provided by the consultant. Upon accessing, an internet site related to gambling appeared. Screenshot of the internet screen

Trusting this, when the reporter said they would invest 1 million won, a new website was shown. It was a gambling site where roulette games could be played in real time. The site only had simple functions such as deposit application, withdrawal application, money transfer, and notices. The other party insisted that the reporter had to sign up as a member there to make money from the side job. When the reporter did not respond, they asked again if the registration was completed. After that, there was no further contact.

'Side Job Scams' Also Rampant on TikTok Popular Among Young People

The reporter moved on to another social media platform to look for side jobs. Even on TikTok, which is mainly used by younger people, it was easy to find posts that could be suspected as side job scams. While the total number of posts for a specific search term is not displayed on TikTok, videos that are widely viewed become popular. When searching for "side job" on TikTok, the most common popular posts are about "manual side jobs." Manual side jobs refer to simple, home-based jobs such as packaging toys. These posts also emphasize phrases like "no initial investment required" and "many hands needed."

The reporter watched the top side job video post. The packaging job offered 500 won per item. As a popular video, the response was positive. People commented, "I want to apply for this side job."

Popular side job posts captured from TikTok on the 20th. They advertise packaging work at 500 won per item as a work-from-home side job. However, if you contact them through the profile, they introduce video capture side jobs instead of packaging work. TikTok

To apply for the side job, the reporter contacted the Line ID listed in the profile. Upon reaching out via Line, an "OOO Consultant" account appeared. The consultant sent the reporter a Japanese vlog YouTube video unrelated to manual or packaging work. The consultant explained that capturing screenshots from this video and sending them would earn between 1,000 and 8,000 won per task.

"If you want to continue this work and make money, you must register a dedicated account." The consultant urged the reporter to sign up through the provided link if they wished to continue. Upon clicking the link, the first screen resembled that of the internet-only bank Toss Bank. On closer inspection, however, the screen was poorly made, with spelling and spacing errors. After signing up, one could access a page showing cash withdrawal records, recharge records, and cryptocurrency prices. This is not a problem unique to Toss Bank. In September, the Financial Supervisory Service also warned about scams that set up fake websites impersonating financial companies to induce remittances.

After completing registration, the consultant welcomed the reporter as a new colleague. "Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work with you."

Even Fake Bank Sites Used... Profit Structure Remains Unclear

The stage then shifted to a Telegram account. The consultant sent a link to a Telegram group chat. The "video manager" in the group immediately posted a video link and asked for a screenshot. After sending the screenshot, the reporter earned 5,000 won. Another 5,000 won was credited to the site impersonating Toss Bank. In this way, by capturing two videos, the reporter earned a total of 9,000 won within an hour.

At 12 PM, a "high-yield mission" began. If you deposited 50,000 won, you would receive 65,000 won; if you deposited 10 million won, you would receive 14 million won. Only new members could deposit up to 100,000 won, while existing members could deposit from 300,000 won and up.

At this point, everyone started sharing their deposit amounts and proof of transfer. "300,000 won." "500,000 won." "100,000 won." Through so-called "mission verification," large sums accumulated in an instant.

The side job schedule provided by the agent. High-income tasks (missions) that can earn a large amount of money were conducted at 12 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. Telegram

When the reporter asked to participate in the high-yield mission, the consultant replied, "Just work like the others in the group. This is high-quality, high-reward work," and sent a work schedule. High-yield missions that could earn large sums of money were held at 12 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. The consultant also explained that once the task was completed, the principal and profits could be withdrawn immediately. The profit-making method was vague. The operator explained that they were preparing to list a cryptocurrency on an exchange, which required increasing trading volume, so they collected money from many people and distributed the resulting profits as commissions.

At first, when the reporter said they would try just 50,000 won, the consultant provided an account number for the deposit. However, they explained that deposits could only be made through automated teller machines (ATMs) or internet banking, and transfers at bank counters were strictly prohibited. When asked again if it was possible to send money at a bank counter, the same answer was repeated.

"Bank counter transfers are prohibited."

A consultant explaining the profit generation method and deposit procedure for a high-yield project. The consultant continuously insisted on making deposits through automated teller machines (ATMs) and internet banking rather than at bank counters. Telegram

As the questions continued, the consultant demanded a photo of the reporter's ID card and mobile phone number, claiming that identity verification was required to participate in the high-yield mission. When the reporter delayed responding, they were expelled from the Telegram group chat. Even after clicking the link to re-enter the group, access was denied.

Even Middle School Students Fell Victim... Warning Signs Flashing Over Side Job Scams

Victims point to social media as a hotbed for side job scams. Yoo Daewoong (35, male), who lost about 40 million won to a side job scam after watching a manual side job video on TikTok, said, "After working in delivery and courier services for seven years, I decided to try a side job while taking a break, hoping to make some extra money. I didn't even search for side job videos myself. I was scammed after watching a video recommended by the algorithm."

Side job scams on social media target people of all ages and genders. Even minors have fallen victim. A middle school student, Ms. A (16), was lured into a side job scam after seeing a free cosmetics advertisement on Instagram. Ms. A explained, "They told me that if I wanted to receive free cosmetics, I had to do a side job capturing and sending videos. While following their instructions, I was told to complete a mission and ended up depositing a total of 400,000 won. When I asked for my money back, I was eventually blocked."