The message arrives by WhatsApp or text: a work-from-home job, a few hours a day, good pay, and almost no requirements. The first tasks are easy, and the money comes in. Then the system asks you to “top up” your account to keep going. The FTC and the FBI have warned about this scheme, which has grown very fast.
Short answer
It’s a scam in which you’re offered a simple online job, such as rating products or “optimizing” apps. You’re paid small amounts at first, and then you’re required to deposit your own money, almost always in cryptocurrency, to unlock more tasks or collect what you’ve earned. A real job never asks you to pay to get paid.
How much it has grown
According to the FTC, reports of task scams went from zero in 2020 to about 5,000 in 2023 and to nearly 20,000 in the first half of 2024 alone. Reported losses from job scams topped 220 million dollars in those six months, and task scams made up almost 40% of job scam reports in 2024.
How it works
- The offer: an unsolicited message from a supposed staffing agency or recruiter, with few details.
- The tasks: rating restaurants or products, “boosting” products, or “optimizing” apps by clicking a button over and over.
- The first payments: small and real, so the job seems legitimate.
- The deposit: to unlock the next set of tasks or withdraw your earnings, you’re asked to send your own money, almost always in cryptocurrency.
- The trap: the platform shows earnings that can never be withdrawn, and each level requires a bigger deposit.
Warning signs
- They contact you by text, WhatsApp, or Telegram even though you weren’t looking for a job.
- The “employer” asks you for payments in cryptocurrency.
- The work is described as “optimizing,” “boosting,” or “rating” apps or products.
- They don’t ask for references, an interview, or documents to hire you.
- They add you to a group chat where other “employees” brag about their earnings.
The simplest rule
A real job pays you; it never asks you to pay to work or to get paid. The FTC puts it this way: never pay someone to get paid.
What to do if you already made a deposit
- Don’t make any more deposits, even if they tell you your account is “in the negative” or that you’ll lose what you’ve earned.
- Save the evidence: chats, the names of the supposed company, the platform’s address, receipts, and the hashes for each transfer.
- Alert your bank or the exchange you sent the money from.
- Report it to IC3 with the transaction information, and to the FTC. We explain where to report.
- Be wary of anyone who promises to recover your money in exchange for a payment: the FBI warns against these services. Learn more about recovery scams.
If, besides the tasks, you were invited to invest on a platform, read how to recognize a Ponzi scheme or a fake investment platform.
Official sources
- FTC: consumer reports about game-like online job scams are skyrocketing (December 2024) — figures and recommendations
- FBI · IC3: work-from-home scams (2024) — how they work, warning signs, and recommendations
Did you deposit money to keep getting paid? Request a free evaluation and we’ll tell you whether your case is worth analyzing.
