Job Openings in the Criminal Underworld
Indeed, criminals have job openings as well. An audacious fellow on Telegram was seeking callers for the so-called Google Security Team voice-phishing fraud. The foolish chap informed applicants they couldn’t refer to scripts – then immediately provided the exact script they needed to follow during the scam calls. It’s hard to believe. These and other amusing stories about criminals having a laugh are featured in the newest edition of Trellix Advanced Research Center’s Dark Web Roast, which employs memes to mock criminals operating on the dark web. But remember: “While these occurrences are genuinely entertaining, they signify authentic criminal activities inflicting considerable damage,” they state.
The Telegram Blunder
One of these entertaining incidents from August includes a Telegram user recognized by Trellix as Derian (@crɑick). He shared an advertisement in the UK Fraudsters Telegram group. “Hiring – Female/Male Mail Callers,” the ad proclaimed, requesting “USA/CA (white sounding)” types and, in bold, “NO SCRIPT READING.” Yet, just to brag, he posted the precise script the callers would read: “Good afternoon, this is [name] contacting you on behalf of the Google Account Security Team on a recorded line. Am I speaking with Larry Boyles?” As Trellix’s threat-intelligence analysts point out, the “‘recorded line’ embellishment is a clever addition, since nothing conveys authenticity like a scammer engaging in pretend compliance theatre. The pretexting playbook is dishearteningly effective, but the recruiter’s quality control is as reliable as the counterfeit Google team it’s mimicking.” Ouch, burn.
Dark Web Roast: Mocking the Scammers
GadgetLad had a chat with Trellix VP of threat intelligence strategy John Fokker regarding the Dark Web Roast. He believes the concept arose from a desire to adopt an “almost psyops” strategy for addressing the criminal underworld. “We didn’t want to glorify them; what’s the opposite thing we can do? We’re going to roast them,” Fokker mentioned during a conversation at RSAC. “I’m trying to ignite a debate or a constructive dialogue about what actions we can take as an industry,” he stated. “Everyone is glorifying threat actors, and that’s not beneficial for our clients or organizations. These are just individuals; they merely utilize computers, and they aim to steal your data and profit. They aren’t mythical. They lack superpowers.”
Cybercrime Increasing
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recently announced its most detrimental year for online scams, with data from 2025 indicating reported losses at $20.87 billion. English-language social engineering ranks among the most sought-after skills on underground forums. A study by threat detection and response company ReliaQuest discovered that the quantity of job postings on criminal marketplaces referencing this specific skill more than doubled from 2024 to 2025. Furthermore, according to Google, voice phishing escalated last year to become the second most prevalent technique used by cybercriminals to gain initial access to their victims’ IT infrastructure – and the top method employed when infiltrating cloud environments. So when these criminals engage in foolish behavior, it’s somewhat amusing to watch Fokker’s team call them out.
Summary: When Scammers Face the Roast
When you observe criminals making fools of themselves, it’s hard not to chuckle, and it appears that the team at Trellix enjoys a bit of humor too. Just keep in mind, while it’s an entertaining display, the damage these fools inflict is far from laughable.
