Side jobs "for likes" and "tasks": how they pay you 50 dollars to take 500
Someone messages you and offers easy money: liking posts, writing reviews, doing "tasks". The first payments arrive, and then the "deposits" begin. We explain the scheme step by step.
This scam is especially common on Telegram and WhatsApp. It is more clever than a normal scam: at first, they really pay you.
How it works
- An unexpected offer. A stranger or a "recruiter" writes to you: "We need remote workers, 1–2 hours a day, paid every day".
- Simple tasks. Like a video, follow a channel, leave a review of a product. You really get small amounts of money for this.
- A private group. You are added to a chat where other "members" show off how much they earn. Almost all of them work with the scammers or are bots.
- "Premium tasks". To earn more, you have to pay in your own money: "buy a product and get cashback", "top up your account to complete the task". At first the money is returned with extra on top.
- The trap. The amounts get bigger. At some point you cannot withdraw your money: you have to "pay tax", "pay for a mistake" or "finish a series of tasks". The more you put in, the more you lose.
Signs of a scam
- they offer you work first, without your CV or an interview;
- the pay is too high for too simple actions;
- there is no contract, no company and no official website, only a messenger app;
- you are asked to pay in your own money to earn;
- to withdraw money, they ask for "tax", a "fee" or "insurance".
The main rule
A real employer pays you, not the other way around. Any job where you must first put in your own money is a reason to stop.
What to do
- do not answer unexpected job offers from strangers;
- if you are already involved, do not pay in a single cent more, not even to "get back what you put in": you will not get it back this way;
- save the messages, phone numbers, usernames and the account details you sent money to;
- contact your bank and the police.
Check the "recruiter's" username or number in our [registry](/), and if it is not there, add a report. For a similar scam with jobs abroad, read the article "Fake jobs abroad".
Not sure about a number or website?
Check it in our registry or add your story to warn others.
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