The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned job seekers about the continued rise in online job scams. These scams, also known as “task scams,” request for repetitive tasks to be performed. These tasks are often completed in an app or a platform that tracks completed tasks, giving a gamified sense of earning commissions.

These scams begin with a text or WhatsApp message offering an online work opportunity. The job requests the target complete tasks such as “product boosting” and liking videos. The scammers often impersonate well-known companies and provide a specific number of tasks at a time, promising more significant commissions as each set of tasks is completed. These jobs may initially offer small cryptocurrency payouts to add a sense of legitimacy. Once a target invests enough time in the scam, the app will require a deposit before further commissions can be paid.

This scam was first reported to the FTC in 2021 and has since been on the rise, with 20,000 reports made to the FTC over the first half of 2024. Over $220,000 million in losses were reported during this period, and task scams accounted for nearly 40 percent of the total job scam reports received.

Recommendations

• Educate yourself and others about these and similar scams. Legitimate businesses typically will not contact you through text or WhatsApp messages.
• Avoid downloading software at the request of unknown individuals, and refrain from divulging sensitive information or providing funds.
• Confirm the legitimacy of requests by contacting the careers section of a company’s official website or consider calling the company’s human resources department to verify if the job opportunity is legitimate.
• Report malicious cyber activity to the FTC, FBI’s IC3, and the NJCCIC.