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Task job scams: the “rate products and earn from home” text or WhatsApp offer

Got a text or WhatsApp message offering easy online work rating products or “boosting” apps? How task job scams work, the warning signs, and what to do if you topped up your account.

It starts with a friendly message out of nowhere: “Hi, we’re hiring remote staff, flexible hours, no experience needed, earn $300 a day.” It looks like a lucky break. It’s one of the fastest-growing scams in the world. The FTC estimates about 20,000 people reported these “task scams” in just the first half of 2024, up from about 5,000 in all of 2023, and reported losses to job scams topped $220 million in those six months (FTC).

How the task scam works

  1. The approach. An unexpected text or WhatsApp message offers online work with few details. Some impersonate well-known companies, shopping sites or recruitment agencies (Scamwatch).
  2. The “job”. A supposed mentor moves you to WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal and sets you up on a website or app. The work is simple and repetitive: rating products, liking videos, “product boosting” or “app optimization”, often in sets of about forty (FTC).
  3. The hook. You get a small payout at first, and the app shows your commission climbing (FTC, Scamwatch).
  4. The switch. To unlock your earnings or take on a “special” higher-paying task, you’re told to top up your account with your own money, usually crypto. You may be added to a group chat full of “colleagues” showing screenshots of their earnings. Scamwatch says those chats are filled with scammers and bots.
  5. The loss. You can never withdraw your earnings or the money you paid in (Scamwatch).

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Warning signs

  • A recruiter contacts you out of the blue by text or a messaging app.
  • High pay for little effort, working from home, no experience needed.
  • No interview and no questions about your experience or references.
  • You’re asked to top up an account, pay a “recruitment fee” or buy training materials.
  • They ask for your passport, driver’s licence or other ID.
  • The “job” involves receiving money into your bank account and passing it on. Scamwatch warns this is a money mule scam, and moving money for criminals is a serious crime even if you didn’t know.

How to protect yourself

  1. Ignore generic, unexpected job messages. Real employers don’t recruit that way (FTC).
  2. Never pay to get paid. No real business asks for money to release your wages (FTC).
  3. Check who you’re dealing with: contact the company or agency on a phone number you found yourself (Scamwatch).
  4. Check the number that messaged you with the free phone scam check.
  5. Talk to someone you trust before you send anything. A real offer doesn’t need a decision today.

If you already paid

  1. Stop sending money, however much the app says you’ll lose.
  2. Call your bank or card provider straight away and ask them to stop any transactions (Scamwatch).
  3. Change passwords for your email, banking and any account you used on the scam site.
  4. If you sent ID documents, in Australia and New Zealand contact IDCARE for free help. In the US, see the FTC’s steps at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  5. Watch out for “recovery agents” who promise to get your crypto back for a fee.

Where to report

Questions

They already paid me a small amount. Doesn’t that prove it’s real?

No. Both the FTC and Scamwatch say small early payouts are part of the trick, to make you trust the system before you’re asked to put your own money in.

The app shows I’ve earned thousands. Can I get it out if I pay the fee?

No. The FTC is clear: no matter what the system says you’ve earned, that money isn’t real, and if you deposit money you won’t get it back.

Is it legal to be paid to like or rate things online?

The FTC says no honest company will pay you to rate or “like” things, and its rule banning fake reviews and testimonials came into force in 2024.

I already sent money or crypto. What now?

Stop paying, call your bank straight away, and report it (links below). In Australia and New Zealand, IDCARE can help you make a free recovery plan. Expect “recovery” offers afterwards: those are scams too.

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Got a job offer by text or WhatsApp?

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General information only, not legal or financial advice. ImposterWatch is operated by Cloud Investments FZE (UAE) and is not a background check or private investigator service.