[FRAUD ALERT] Beware of 9thco-grow.com
9thCO has been targeted by what appears to be a new form of spear phishing. See how the details unfold, as we gather more information.
If you've received a text, email or WhatsApp message from someone claiming to recruit for 9thCO, using the URL 9thco-grow.com, this is fraud and should be reported. Do not sign up, provide any contact information or send payment.
Background
We first received a message though LinkedIn on November 13, 2023, claiming that someone from our company had reached out with a job opportunity. At a quick glance the profile looked legitimate.
Since that date, we've consistently received emails and LinkedIn messages. All appear to be mostly legitimate, but with basic phishing giveaways (minimal profile connections, non-corporate email).
The Phishing Site
The site is a simple landing page with login, having stolen a basic team photo and logo.
A quick look at the WHOIS data reveals a domain that was recently registered, and hosted on a data center in Asia.
Clearly this is a suspiciously phony looking site. Could anyone possibly fall for this?
The "Outreach"
Here are the profiles and emails of seemingly real people that have been contacted:
The LinkedIn profiles look real enough, but light on information:
The Conversation
Where this begins to really break down is in the sample conversations we've been sent. The recipients claim to want to help or report the conversations, yet they willingly and actively particiate in the conversations.
Note the grammatical errors on both sides of the conversation.
Conclusion
It is unclear what the objectives of the fraudsters are, but it's clearly a scam. There were two phone calls today (November 27, 2023), with both callers claiming to have been scammed through this website. The second caller claimed to have lost $11,000.
If you've been contacted by someone and encouraged to sign up at 9thco-grow.com or any website that resembles it, please block and report.