Job offer texts and task scams: paid to like videos?
An unsolicited job offer for easy online “tasks” that ends with you depositing money to unlock your earnings.
Could you spot it?
3 quick examples. Decide scam or legit for each.
How it works
A “recruiter” texts or messages you about flexible remote work: rate products, like videos or “optimize apps”, for high pay. The work happens in an app or website that shows your earnings piling up. Soon you need to deposit your own money, often in crypto, to unlock the next set of tasks or to withdraw.
Real employers don't hire by unsolicited text, and they never ask you to pay to get paid.
Red flags
- A job offer you didn't apply for, by text, WhatsApp or Telegram.
- High pay for simple tasks like liking, rating or reviewing.
- You must pay or deposit money (often crypto) to earn or withdraw.
- No real interview, and no company you can verify.
What it looks like
You've been looking for remote work and have a profile on a jobs site.
The tells:
- A job offer you didn't apply for, by text.
- Huge pay for a vague, easy task.
- “Boosting ratings” is a task scam script.
- Moving you to a private chat app.
A training example written for this site. Names, numbers and links are made up, and links are disabled.
What to do
- Ignore unsolicited job texts.
- Never pay to get a job or to receive your earnings.
- Look up the company yourself and apply only through its own careers page.
If you already paid or shared information
- Contact the company you used to pay (your bank, card company, gift card company, payment app or wire service) right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
- If you shared a password, change it now and turn on two-factor authentication.
- If you gave out your Social Security number or other ID details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For scams that happened online, you can also report to the FBI at ic3.gov.
From FTC: What to do if you were scammed.
Latest alerts about this scam
No recent FTC, CISA or FBI alerts are tagged with this scam. The guidance below still applies.
Sources
Related scams
Fake checks and overpayments
A buyer or employer “accidentally” pays too much and asks you to send the difference back.
Payment app scams
A stranger “accidentally” sends you money and asks for it back, or a seller insists on a payment app.
Verification code scams
Someone asks you to share a one-time code that was just sent to you.