FREN
WATCH

Scam watch

Scams aimed at Algerian freelancers and job seekers, with dates and sources. We check every alert at the source before we publish it.

Three rules that catch almost every scam

  1. A real employer never asks you for money.
  2. Nobody asks you to copy a command during an interview.
  3. You check an official text on the institution’s website, not in a screenshot.
  1. Currency swapsReported continuously

    Person-to-person currency swaps: fake accounts posing as "trusted" sellers

    SQuareDz, an Algerian classifieds site, keeps a list of CCP and BaridiMob accounts and phone numbers reported in currency-exchange scams. It says many people are scammed every day, mostly by accounts that impersonate well-known sellers. As of 22 October 2026, its database held 806 reported accounts, 526 of them verified. Remember that buying or selling currency between individuals, outside a bank, is illegal in Algeria.

    The warning sign: A "well-known seller" messages you first, or sends a screenshot of a transfer instead of a payment you can see on your own statement.

    What to do

    • Use your bank: it is the only legal way to exchange currency (guide 27).
    • A payment only exists when it shows on your own statement, not in a screenshot.
    Source: SQuareDz, page « vérifier un vendeur », viewed 22 October 2026Checked by sahla on 22 October 2026Read guide 27 · "Fixers", "verified" accounts and balance sellers: traps to avoid
  2. Fake jobReported on 15 October 2026

    "Rate products, earn $50 a day": tasks you have to pay to unlock

    A WhatsApp or social media message offers a commission for rating products or liking posts. The first small payouts do arrive, to win your trust. Then you have to pay to "activate your account", reach the next level or withdraw your earnings, and each payment is bigger than the last. InstaPay, the Central Bank of Egypt’s payment app, warned about this scheme on 15 October 2026.

    The warning sign: You are asked to pay money in order to get paid.

    What to do

    • Pay nothing, not even a small amount.
    • If you have already paid, don’t pay more to "recover" your earnings. Tell your bank or Algérie Poste and keep the receipts.
    Source: El Watan News (Égypte), avertissement d’InstaPay, 15 October 2026Checked by sahla on 22 October 2026Read guide 26 · Fake recruiters and fake interviews: remote job scams
  3. Pay to workReported on 4 October 2026

    Freelance writer, $50 an hour, "worldwide": read the small print

    A freelance writer ad from IAPWE (International Association of Professional Writers and Editors) was posted again on Remotive on 4 October 2026. Remotive itself notes that applicants reported that some writing tasks may require payment. The Write Life describes a monthly fee of $6 to $15 that is not made clear at sign-up and is hard to cancel, though it stops short of calling IAPWE a scam.

    The warning sign: You have to pay a sign-up fee or subscription to get work.

    What to do

    • Read the terms before you give your PayPal or bank details.
    • Go for jobs where the company pays you directly, with no subscription (guide 25).
    Sources: Remotive, offre « Freelance Writer » de l’IAPWE, 4 October 2026 · The Write Life, avis sur l’IAPWE, updated 17 October 2023Checked by sahla on 22 October 2026Read guide 26 · Fake recruiters and fake interviews: remote job scamsRead guide 25 · Your first remote job: where to look and how to spot a real employer
  4. MalwareReported on 30 September 2026

    Fake video interview: "paste this command to fix your camera"

    The ad appears on a real job site. A "recruiter" then moves you to Telegram and sends a link to an interview platform you have never heard of (for example join[.]meetclave[.]com). The page says your camera or mic is blocked and tells you to press Win + X and paste a "fix" command. The command installs a program that steals passwords, browser sessions, crypto wallets and files. Then the recruiter goes quiet.

    The warning sign: A page or a recruiter asks you to copy and run a command.

    What to do

    • Close the page. Camera settings live in your browser or in Windows, never in a pasted command.
    • If you ran the command, disconnect the computer from the internet and change your passwords from another device, starting with email and banking.
    Source: Trend Micro (TrendLife), faux entretiens « Click Fix », 30 September 2026Checked by sahla on 22 October 2026Read guide 26 · Fake recruiters and fake interviews: remote job scams
  5. MalwareReported on 1 September 2026

    Developers: the LinkedIn "coding test" that installs spyware

    Fake recruiters on LinkedIn pose as big tech firms and send a coding challenge to finish in one to three hours, with no AI assistants, sometimes behind a one-time access code. The project includes a booby-trapped npm package: as soon as you run it, spyware installs on Windows, macOS or Linux. Kaspersky found victims in fintech and aviation across the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt and Ethiopia.

    The warning sign: A timed test you must run on your own computer, sent by a recruiter you can’t verify.

    What to do

    • Check that the recruiter really works for the company, through its careers page or website.
    • Never run a project you received on your main computer. Use a virtual machine or a computer with none of your accounts on it.
    Sources: Kaspersky Securelist, Mirage Kitten : NodeRabbit et PollCat, 1 September 2026 · Kaspersky, communiqué de presse, 1 September 2026Checked by sahla on 22 October 2026Read guide 26 · Fake recruiters and fake interviews: remote job scams
  6. Fake official textReported on 13 August 2026

    The fake "Instruction 08-2026" on the travel allowance

    On 13 August 2026, an "Instruction No. 08-2026 of 12 August 2026" on the travel allowance was shared on social media. The Bank of Algeria formally denied it: it issued no instruction with that number on that date. The text in force is still Instruction 07-2026 of 13 July 2026.

    The warning sign: A "new instruction" shared as a screenshot that you can’t find on the Bank of Algeria website.

    What to do

    • Look for the text on bank-of-algeria.dz before you believe it (guide 31).
    • If in doubt, ask your bank branch.
    Sources: Algérie Zoom, démenti de la Banque d’Algérie, 13 August 2026 · DNAlgérie, 14 August 2026Checked by sahla on 21 October 2026Read guide 31 · Fake Banque d’Algérie instructions: how to check a text before you believe itRead guide 19 · The €750 travel allowance: who gets it and how to claim it

Already caught?

Tell your bank or Algérie Poste straight away, keep the evidence (messages, links, receipts) and report it to the police or gendarmerie. Be wary of anyone who offers to "recover" your money for a fee: that is a second scam.

Seen a scam that isn’t listed? Email info@getsahla.com with a screenshot and the link. We check it before we publish.

These alerts sum up public sources as of the date shown. They are not a judgment on any company or person, and they don’t replace advice from a lawyer or your bank.