Job offer scams: task scams, fake recruiters and what to do next

Industry / situation. Updated 2026-09-13. About 5 minutes to read.

Never pay to get paid: any job that asks you to deposit money, buy crypto or send back part of a check is a scam, however much you have already earned on screen.

A real employer pays you. A job that asks you to pay a deposit, buy equipment with a check they sent, or top up an account to unlock your earnings is a scam. The FBI received 24,688 employment scam complaints in 2025 with 362.9 million dollars lost, and Australian reports of job scams to Scamwatch doubled in the same year.

The fastest-growing version is the task scam, where a friendly 'recruiter' on WhatsApp or Telegram pays you small amounts for rating products or liking videos before the deposits begin. This guide shows how each version unfolds and what to do if you have already sent money or ID.

How a task scam unfolds

  1. The approach: an unexpected text or WhatsApp message offers flexible online work with daily pay but no specifics.
  2. The move: a 'mentor' adds you to Telegram or WhatsApp and gives you a login for an app or website.
  3. The tasks: rate products, boost apps or like videos, usually in sets of forty, with the promise of levelling up.
  4. The hook: small payouts arrive at first, and a group chat full of 'colleagues' posts screenshots of big earnings.
  5. The trap: a 'combination' or 'double' task pushes your balance negative, and you must deposit money, often in crypto, to continue.
  6. The spiral: each deposit unlocks a bigger negative task, then withdrawal needs a fee, a tax or a 'credit score' repair.

The FTC counted about 20,000 task scam reports in the first half of 2024, up from about 5,000 in all of 2023, and 220 million dollars in job scam losses in those six months.

Fake recruiters, fake checks and mule jobs

  • The chat-only interview: a 'hiring manager' interviews you by text on Teams, Telegram or Signal and makes an offer the same day.
  • The equipment check: they mail or deposit a check to buy a laptop from their 'approved vendor'. You pay the vendor, and weeks later the check bounces.
  • The upfront fee: pay for training, a background check, a visa, a starter kit or a uniform before you start.
  • The ID grab: send a photo of your driver licence, passport or Social Security, tax file or National Insurance number, plus a selfie, before any offer letter exists.
  • The reshipping job: receive parcels at home and forward them overseas. The goods were bought with stolen cards.
  • The payment agent: receive money into your account and send it on in crypto or by transfer. This is money laundering, and your account can be closed.

Phrases that give it away

  • 'Hi, I'm a recruiter from a staffing agency. Are you open to part-time remote work?'
  • 'Earn 200 to 800 dollars a day, no experience required, only 60 minutes a day.'
  • 'Please add my colleague on WhatsApp or Telegram to start your training.'
  • 'You've received a lucky combination task, recharge to claim the commission.'
  • 'We'll send you a check for your home office equipment.'
  • 'Send your ID and bank details so HR can set up payroll' before any contract.
  • 'Keep this opportunity confidential.'

Check a job offer before you share anything

  1. Find the company's careers page yourself and confirm the role is listed there.
  2. Check the recruiter's email domain matches the company's real website. Free email accounts and lookalike domains are warning signs.
  3. Call the company's main switchboard, found independently, and ask whether the recruiter works there.
  4. Search the company name, the platform name and the word scam together.
  5. Paste the message into the scam message checker to see which scam patterns it matches.
  6. Refuse any request to pay, deposit, buy crypto, or forward money or parcels.

If you paid, shared ID or moved money

  1. Stop all deposits and contact. Do not pay the 'final fee' to withdraw.
  2. Call your bank on the number on your card to stop or recall payments. If you sent crypto from an exchange, contact the exchange's fraud team with the transaction details.
  3. If you received and forwarded money for the 'employer', tell your bank straight away, because you may be holding stolen funds.
  4. If you shared an ID number: in the US, report at IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In Australia, call IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
  5. Report the scam. US: ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. Australia: ReportCyber and Scamwatch. England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or Police Scotland on 101. Canada: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on 1-888-495-8501.
  6. Report the account or ad to the job board, WhatsApp or Telegram.

Warn a student or young job seeker

Job scams hit people who are actively looking for work, which means students, recent graduates, new arrivals and anyone between jobs. Australia's National Anti-Scam Centre said reports from people aged 25 to 34 more than doubled in 2025, and losses to job scams reported to Scamwatch rose from 13.7 million dollars to 24.8 million.

The simplest rule to share: legitimate employers never ask you to pay them, never ask you to move money through your account, and rarely hire anyone through a text chat alone. In Canada, job scams were the fourth largest category by loss in 2025, at 50.6 million dollars.

Frequently asked questions

What is a task scam?

A task scam pays you small amounts for simple online tasks such as rating products, then invents negative balances that you must top up with your own money, usually crypto, to keep working or withdraw. The earnings shown in the app are fake.

Is it a scam if they already paid me?

Yes, if they later ask for a deposit. Early payouts are part of the script, paid to build trust before larger deposits are requested.

I deposited the equipment check. What now?

Do not spend or send any of the money. Tell your bank the check may be fraudulent. When it bounces, the bank takes the full amount back from your account.

Can a recruiter really contact me on WhatsApp?

Some legitimate recruiters use messaging apps, but they will name a real company you can verify, arrange a proper interview, and never ask you to pay. Unsolicited messages offering easy daily pay are almost always scams.

Could I get in trouble for a reshipping or payment job?

Possibly. Moving stolen goods or money through your account can lead to account closures and police interest, even if you were deceived. Stop, keep records, and report it to your bank and police.

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