WFMA - Ecommerce Marketing Agency - London & Cape Town - ****MERS

On 12 March 2024, I was contacted via Telegram by Alliah Smith who claimed to be a Financial Auditor. From the 3rd message already, she requested my banking details to 'facilitate future payments'. When I questioned why my banking details were required this early on, she said that they needed to pay me 'R45 Trial Assignment Reward'. She then went on to say that 'the finance team will settle my reward, and after that, I'd be invited to join their Task Group for more tasks. Active members can receive an extra R5000 as a full attendance bonus'. When I asked what the catch was and what guarantee was there that money would not disappear from my account after sharing my banking details, she answered, "How comes the money will disappear". I then responded that sharing banking details online makes the account more susceptible to being hacked. She then responded, "You don't have to worry about anything dear". And, "This information is provided solely for the purpose of verifying your salary settlement. Please rest assured that personal information leakage is not a concern". When I asked where the company is based, I was given 2 addresses, 1 in Cape Town and 1 in London. When I DID finally send her banking details of my savings account (which is currently empty) and asked her when payments would be made and how often payments are processed, she only responded with "Okay". Since then, I have asked repeatedly when the Trial Assignment Reward payment was due to be completed. She has effectively ghosted me since receiving the banking details and finally sent a "hello" message this morning. I rep**** with "Good morning" and then asked "What are my assignments?" and, "Why are you not answering my questions?" Her response was: "The available task now you have to deposit to earn" and "Are you interested" I then rep****: "What happened to the 'supposed' R45 I was supposed to be paid? And why did you demand my banking details before telling me that the first task would be to make a deposit? and "This smells like a ****!" Her response: "Okay" Please, people, be wary and fall for these ****mers!