Gig-Worker and Delivery-Rider Telegram Groups: Stopping Fake Bonus Offers, Account Rental and "Priority Orders" Scams

Who this article is for: owners and admins of Telegram groups for delivery riders, drivers, couriers and other gig workers.

Gig-worker groups are busy, practical communities: riders share which zones are slow, how to handle app problems and where to park. Members earn money through platform accounts, so scammers target those accounts and the people behind them. This article lists the common scams and the group settings that stop most of them.

Common scams in gig-worker groups

Fake bonus offers. "Platform weekend bonus: register here to get an extra 30% on every order." The link is a fake login page for the delivery app. Once scammers have the login, they take over the account or change the payout details.

Account rental and selling. "Rent my verified rider account, no documents needed" or "Buying accounts, paying well." Renting or selling accounts breaks platform rules, can lead to permanent bans, and is often used for fraud. Buyers also get scammed: they pay and never receive access.

"Priority orders" and "boost" tools. Paid apps or scripts that promise more or better orders. At best they don't work; at worst they steal credentials or get the account banned.

Fake support agents. An account named like the platform's support team DMs a rider: "Your account is under review, verify your identity here or it will be suspended."

Upfront-fee job offers. "Join our fleet, guaranteed income, pay €50 for the uniform and bag." Real fleets don't charge strangers in Telegram.

Group settings that help

1. Hide the member list (Group settings → Members → Hide members). Fake support agents start by messaging people from the list.
2. Restrict links for new members for the first few days. Real riders rarely need to post links when they join.
3. Join requests with one question, such as "Which city and which platform do you work on?"
4. Use Topics: Zones and traffic, App problems, Equipment, Off-topic, and a read-only Warnings topic.
5. Slow mode in the busiest topics during peak hours.
6. Visible admin titles, so members can tell real admins from copies.

Rules to pin

• Bonuses and account issues are handled only inside the official app or on the platform's official website.
• No buying, selling or renting accounts. Posts about it are removed and the poster is banned.
• No paid "boost" or "priority" tools.
• Admins and platform staff never ask for your password or verification code in Telegram.
• Forward suspicious DMs to an admin.

When a scam gets through

• Ban the account and use "delete all messages from this user".
• Post a short note in the Warnings topic with a screenshot (blur personal details).
• Remind anyone who entered their login to change the password, turn on two-step verification in the app, and contact the platform's official support.
• Report the account to Telegram.

Automatic filtering

Gig-worker groups are active around the clock, and admins are usually on shift themselves. An anti-ad bot removes the repetitive spam: bonus-scam links from new accounts, account-rental ads, "boost tool" promotions and mass mentions.

虾宝 (Xiabao) is an anti-ad bot for Telegram groups that is free for group owners. Add @xiabaotg_bot as an admin with permission to delete messages and ban users, and it filters ad and scam messages automatically. The Xiabao guide for Telegram group owners explains the setup and permissions.

Quick checklist

• Member list hidden
• Links restricted for new members
• Join requests with city and platform question
• Topics, including a read-only Warnings topic
• Rules pinned: official app only, no account trading, no boost tools
• Anti-spam bot running

Disclosure: written by the 虾宝 (Xiabao) team, which maintains the bot mentioned above.