A job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram: the "task" scam

A job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram: the "task" scam

"Hi, I'm Emma from a recruitment agency. We saw your profile on SEEK. Would you be interested in a flexible remote role, 30–60 minutes a day, earning $200 to $800?" The message arrives on WhatsApp, Telegram or by text from a number you don't know, often an overseas one. You never applied for anything. This is the task scam, one of the most common job scams in Australia, and its business model is simple: pay you a little at first so you'll pay them a lot later.

How does the task scam work?

The script is remarkably consistent:

1. The hook. An unsolicited message promising easy, flexible work: liking YouTube videos, following accounts, rating hotels or apps, or "boosting" products on a platform. They often name a real company or recruitment agency to look legitimate.
2. The first tasks. You're moved to a Telegram or WhatsApp group with a "mentor" and other "workers" who post screenshots of their earnings. You do a few simple tasks and get paid a small amount, sometimes by bank transfer, sometimes in cryptocurrency. It's real money, and that's what hooks you.
3. The account. You're asked to open an account on their "work platform", which shows a balance growing as you complete tasks.
4. The twist. Suddenly a "premium" or "combination" task appears: to unlock it, or because your balance has gone negative, you need to deposit your own money, usually in crypto or by transfer to an individual. They promise you'll get it back with a commission.
5. The spiral. Every deposit triggers another requirement: a bigger task, a "tax", a "withdrawal fee", an "account upgrade". The balance keeps growing on screen, but you can never withdraw it. When you stop paying, they vanish.

A variant asks you to receive money into your account and forward it to someone else. That's not a job: it's money laundering, and the account holder (you) is the one police come looking for.

What are the warning signs?

• You didn't apply. Real recruiters don't cold-message strangers on WhatsApp with salary ranges.
• The pay is too good for the effort: hundreds of dollars a day for clicking likes.
• No interview, no contract, no tax file number, no super. A genuine Australian employer has to deal with all of that.
• The conversation moves to Telegram or a private group with lots of enthusiastic "colleagues".
• Payments in crypto or via a platform you've never heard of.
• You're asked to pay anything to work: deposits, upgrades, training, taxes or fees. A real job pays you; it never charges you.
• You're asked to receive and forward money.

What should I do if they've just messaged me?

1. Don't reply and don't click links. Replying confirms your number is active.
2. Check independently if the message names a real company: find its website yourself and contact its HR team through the official site. Real vacancies are listed on the company's own careers page or established job boards.
3. Block and report the number in WhatsApp (tap the name, then "Report"), or the account in Telegram.
4. Report the number in the spam numbers directory so others recognise it.

What if I've already paid or sent my details?

1. Stop paying. Whatever they promise, more deposits won't unlock your balance. That balance doesn't exist.
2. Call your bank on the number on your card or in its app. Explain it's a scam and ask them to try to recall transfers and block further payments to the same recipients.
3. If you paid in crypto, contact the exchange you used straight away through its official support and give it the transaction details and wallet addresses. Recovery is difficult, but the exchange can sometimes flag or freeze funds.
4. If you received and forwarded money, stop immediately, tell your bank and report it to police. Being upfront protects you.
5. If you sent ID documents (driver licence, passport, tax file number, bank details), contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 for free help protecting your identity.
6. Beware of "recovery" offers. People who contact you promising to get your money back for a fee are often the same scammers.

Where do I report it?

• Police, through ReportCyber, via the AFP's cybercrime page, especially if you lost money or your account was used to move funds.
• Scamwatch, so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track the campaign.
• WhatsApp or Telegram, using the in-app report option. WhatsApp's help page on scams explains how.
• The job site if the scammer claimed to have found you there.

Frequently asked questions

They really paid me for the first tasks. Doesn't that prove it's legit? No. Those small payments are the bait. They cost the scammers a few dollars and buy your trust for the much bigger deposits that come next.

Is it illegal to like posts or write reviews for money? Writing fake reviews can mislead consumers and may breach consumer law, but in this scam there's no real work at all: the "tasks" are just a pretext to get you depositing money.

They want me to pay a tax before I can withdraw my balance. Should I pay? No. It's the final stage of the scam. No real employer or platform charges you to access your own pay. If you pay, another fee will follow.

How did they get my number? From data breaches, scraped online profiles or simply random number generation. Being contacted doesn't mean they know anything else about you.

In short

An unsolicited job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram that pays you to like posts, then asks you to deposit money, is a scam from start to finish. Don't reply, don't pay, and never let anyone move money through your account. If you've already paid, call your bank, report it through ReportCyber and Scamwatch, and ignore anyone offering to "recover" your money. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop someone else from losing their savings.