Task scams, or gamified job scams, are fake online jobs where people are told to like posts, rate videos or offer your feedback on products. These jobs often work within a fake application or website that the victim is prompted to download, after accepting a job opportunity by text or phone.
Once victims have downloaded the app, or made an account on the website, they are given a set of tasks. These tasks are typically in a set of 40, and the scammer states that the victim will earn a commission based on the tasks they complete.
After completing a set of tasks, scammers will then give the victim a small payment through a crypto currency. This reassures the victim that the work is legitimate. However, the scammer also informs the victim that to access further payments, they need to make a deposit. According to the scammer, this deposit will be returned to you once you’ve completed your next set of tasks. However, this payment never materialises and your deposit is lost.
The scam continues to prompt victims to put money into their account; sometimes dropping their balance in commissions to a negative number, or stating that their credit rating has dropped and in order to access further tasks they need to pay to rectify it. Eventually, the victim will realise that they’ve been scammed, and the scammer moves onto their next target.
Don’t fall for task scams
You can keep yourself safe from task scams or gamified job scams by following our top tips.
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Don’t trust a cold caller
Some of these so-called ‘job opportunities’ come through cold calls, or cold texts. This is where the scammer contacts you, often masquerading as someone from a job board like Indeed, and states that they have reviewed your CV and would like to offer you a position. This is the starting point for a number of job scams.
Job boards like Indeed do not ask for money, or personal information over the phone or over text. If you have applied for a job, and you’re contacted by the company, make sure you research the company online. If they offer you the job without an interview, this is a red flag. -
Businesses’ don’t WhatsApp
In these scams, the scammer will typically use an instant messaging app, such as WhatsApp. Victims report scammers being very present, friendly and reassuring; almost too friendly for a professional relationship, sending ‘Goodnight’ and ‘Good morning’ messages to their targets.
If victims express some doubts or worries about whether to continue with the scam, some scammers have even invited victims to group chats where they will hear how much money other workers have generated in their position.
If a business is contacting you predominantly through an instant messaging app, it’s likely not legitimate. On WhatsApp, there is no way to guarantee that a person is who they say they are; anybody with a phone number can pretend to be representing a legitimate business. -
Beware the Sunk-Cost Fallacy
Part of the way that these scammers generate income is through the sunk cost fallacy. This is where a victim has invested a lot of time, energy or money into something, and the idea of abandoning the venture would confirm that all of their investments have been for nothing. Instead, victims continue, hoping that they’ll eventually get their payments and their efforts won’t have been for nothing.
Unfortunately, once you have made payments in a scam like this, there is no way to recover them. Scammers use crypto currency because it is unregulated and anonymous, and once you have made a payment it is impossible to get that payment returned. Remember, a legitimate business will never ask you to pay to get paid. The best course of action is to stop making deposits when you realise something is wrong.
