7 common Telegram scams (and how to avoid them)

“Send $50, get $500 back guaranteed!” If you’ve seen messages like this on Telegram, you’ve encountered a scammer. These criminals are targeting Telegram’s 800+ million users with increasingly sophisticated schemes. From fake crypto investments to romance scams, they’re stealing millions from unsuspecting victims. 

Here’s your guide to spotting and avoiding every major Telegram scam.

The most worrying Telegram scams

We’ve covered the seven most common (and most damaging) Telegram scams below, including what they are, and how to avoid them.

1. Investment schemes: The biggest money drain

That message promising to double your money in a week? It’s the tip of a carefully crafted scam iceberg. Telegram investment fraudsters have perfected a three-stage attack draining millions from victims worldwide. It’s become one of the most popular Telegram scams.

First, they create legitimate-looking channels filled with professional market analysis, testimonials, and impressive profit screenshots. These channels often steal identities from real financial experts and companies, making them nearly indistinguishable from genuine investment groups.

The grooming phase comes next. You’ll see a steady stream of “successful” trades and member testimonials. The scammers might even send you small returns on test investments, building trust while preparing for the real con. They’re masters at creating FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), using phrases like:

• “Only 10 spots remaining!”
• “Price increases in 24 hours”
• “Members made 300% returns yesterday”

The final phase is where victims lose everything. Scammers push for bigger investments, citing “rare opportunities” or “market-breaking information.” Once you send substantial funds, they either disappear or keep stringing you along for more investments before vanishing.

2. Cryptocurrency scams: The modern heist

Crypto scammers have turned Telegram into their personal hunting ground, using the platform’s privacy features to run sophisticated schemes. They typically pose as insider trading groups or pre-sale opportunity providers, creating an illusion of exclusive access to the next big cryptocurrency.

The setup is convincing: professional charts, fake news articles, and manufactured trading volume make everything look legitimate. They’ll show you copied whitepapers from real projects and create artificial urgency around their offers. These scams are particularly dangerous because they use real cryptocurrency terminology and market trends to appear knowledgeable.

Victims often lose entire savings because they are irreversible once cryptocurrency transfers are made. The scammers might keep the scheme running for months, building trust through small withdrawals before executing their final exit scam with the bulk of investors’ money.

3. Romance scams: The emotional manipulator

Romance scammers aren’t just after your money – they’re experts at manipulating emotions.

It starts innocently: an attractive profile, often using stolen photos from social media, reaches out with a perfectly crafted message. The scammer creates a compelling persona, usually a successful professional working abroad or someone with an interesting international background.

Over weeks or months, they build an intense emotional connection through daily conversations. They share detailed life stories, send stolen photos and videos, and may even make promises about a future together. The relationship feels real, making their eventual request for money seem reasonable to their victims.

When the financial manipulation begins, it’s subtle. Common scenarios include:

• A medical emergency affecting them or a family member
• Business opportunities they want to “share” with you
• Travel expenses to finally meet in person
• Legal troubles requiring immediate funds

What makes these scams particularly devastating is their psychological impact. Victims often lose both money and their ability to trust others, with some reporting losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Romance scams are just one example of many social engineering tactics.

4. Job scams: The fake employer

In today’s remote work era, job scammers have refined their approach. They post seemingly legitimate work-from-home opportunities, often advertising unrealistic salaries like “$500 per day for entry-level work.” The job descriptions are detailed, and they even conduct professional-seeming interviews over Telegram.

The scam reveals itself when they request upfront payments. These might be disguised as training fees, equipment costs, or background check charges. They’ll pressure you with stories about other candidates waiting for your spot or limited-time offers, creating artificial urgency to cloud your judgment.

Real employers never require payment to start work. If you’re asked for money during a hiring process, you’re dealing with a scam. Legitimate remote jobs will provide training and equipment as part of your employment, not as an upfront cost.

5. Phishing attacks: The account hijackers

“Suspicious login detected in your area!” Messages like this kick off some of Telegram’s most common security threats. Phishing scammers create a false sense of urgency about your account security, hoping you’ll act before thinking.

These attacks are particularly dangerous because they can compromise your entire Telegram presence. 

Once scammers gain access to your account, they can:

The most effective defense is simple: Telegram will never ask for your verification codes or password through messages. Any request for these credentials is automatically a scam. Never click on links or attachments in unsolicited messages.

6. Impersonation scams: The trusted friend trap

Perhaps the most insidious Telegram scams hijack trusted relationships. Imagine receiving an urgent message from a close friend or family member—their profile picture is correct, their writing style seems familiar, and they need your help with an emergency.

These scammers either hack legitimate Telegram or WhatsApp accounts or create convincing clones of real profiles. They study their target’s communication style and relationships before striking. The urgency of their requests, combined with your trust in the person they’re impersonating, creates a perfect storm for quick, emotional decisions.

Common scenarios often involve a friend supposedly stranded abroad, locked out of their bank account, or facing a medical emergency. The scammer pushes for immediate action, knowing that given time to think or verify, their scheme falls apart. Always remember: if a friend needs urgent financial help, verify through another communication channel first.

7. Fake giveaways: The false promise

“Congratulations! You’ve been randomly selected to win an iPhone 15 Pro!” These online scams flood Telegram channels daily, masquerading as promotions from well-known brands. While they might seem obviously fake to some, their sophistication level has increased dramatically, especially with the increase of deepfakes and other convincing AI tools. (Read more in our guide to staying safe when using AI)

Today’s giveaway scammers create entire ecosystems of fake legitimacy. They build channels with thousands of bot subscribers, craft professional graphics, and even create fake winner testimonials. The scam usually reveals itself when “winners” must pay small fees for shipping, processing, or insurance before claiming their prize.

These scams persist because of their relatively low entry cost—victims might only lose $20-50 in “processing fees.” But multiply this by thousands of victims, and scammers build profitable operations while staying under the radar of major investigations.

Protecting yourself: Your action plan

Understanding these scams is only half the battle – you need a practical defense strategy. Start by treating Telegram like your physical wallet: guard your personal information carefully and approach unexpected opportunities with healthy skepticism.

Enable two-step verification immediately – it’s your strongest defense against account takeovers. Keep your privacy settings strict, limiting who can see your phone number and add you to groups.

Remember that legitimate opportunities never require urgent decisions or upfront payments.

Watch for these universal red flags:

• Requests for urgent financial decisions
• Promises of unrealistic returns or prizes
• Pressure to keep opportunities “secret”
• Upfront fees for jobs or prizes
• Any request for security codes or passwords