Job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram: the "task" scam

Job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram: the "task" scam

"Hi! I'm a recruiter. We're looking for people to work from home: 20 minutes a day, €100 to €300 a day, no experience needed." The message arrives on WhatsApp or Telegram from a number you don't know, often foreign, sometimes with a profile picture of a smiling "HR assistant". The work sounds absurdly easy: liking YouTube videos, following accounts, rating hotels or writing reviews. This is the task scam, and it's designed so that you end up paying them. If you've had one of these messages, the short answer is: a job that asks you to deposit money to keep earning isn't a job.

How does the "task" scam work?

The script is carefully built to win your trust step by step:

1. The unsolicited offer. A message out of nowhere, with a vague company name or one copied from a real agency.
2. Easy first tasks, and real payments. You like a few videos and they actually pay you a few euro, often by bank transfer or Revolut. That small payment is the bait: it proves "it works".
3. The group and the platform. They move you to a Telegram group full of "colleagues" (bots and accomplices) celebrating their earnings, and ask you to register on a website or app that shows a balance.
4. The "prepaid tasks". To unlock better-paid tasks or "VIP levels", you have to deposit money first, often in cryptocurrency. The balance on the website grows, but you can't withdraw it.
5. The endless excuses. To withdraw, you have to pay "taxes", "fees" or "unlock a final level". Every payment leads to another.

There's a second danger: some offers ask you to receive money into your account and pass it on to others. That's not a job, it's money muling, and it's a crime that can leave you with a blocked bank account, a Garda investigation and a criminal record. The CCPC and the Gardaí have repeatedly warned that young people are being targeted with exactly this pitch.

What are the warning signs?

• You didn't apply for anything and they contacted you out of the blue.
• Pay that's far too high for trivial work.
• No interview, no contract, no PPS number or employment details requested.
• They only use WhatsApp or Telegram and avoid any official email or phone call.
• You must pay to work: deposits, fees, "levels", in crypto or by transfer.
• A balance you can see but never withdraw.
• Requests to receive and forward money through your bank account.

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

1. Don't reply and don't click any link they send.
2. Don't send any personal details: no ID, PPS number, IBAN or photos of documents.
3. Block the number and report it in WhatsApp or Telegram (both have a "Report" option).
4. If you're genuinely looking for work, use recognised job sites and check that the company exists by contacting it through its own website.
5. Report the number in the spam numbers directory so others see the warning.

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

1. Stop paying. No "final fee" will release your balance; it doesn't exist.
2. Ring your bank on its official number and explain what happened: ask them to try to recall transfers and block cards if you shared them. If you paid in crypto, recovery is unlikely, but report it anyway.
3. If you received money and forwarded it, tell your bank and the Gardaí straight away. Explaining it early protects you: the sooner they know you were deceived, the better.
4. If you sent ID or your PPS number, keep an eye out for accounts or loans opened in your name, and mention it in your report.
5. Report it to the Gardaí at your local Garda station, with screenshots of the chats, the website address, the wallet addresses and the receipts.
6. Beware of "recovery" offers: people who contact you promising to get your money back for a fee are part of the same scam.

Where do I report it?

• An Garda Síochána, at your local station. Fraud is investigated with the support of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau.
• Your bank, on the number on your card or in its app.
• WhatsApp or Telegram, using the report option in the chat.
• NoCall, in the spam numbers directory.

The CCPC's guide to social media scams covers job scams and other fake offers if you want to share it with someone.

Frequently asked questions

They actually paid me at the start. How can it be a scam? That's precisely the trick. Paying you a small amount at the beginning costs them little and makes you trust them with much larger deposits.

Is liking videos for money ever real? Not in this form. Legitimate jobs don't ask you to pay to work or to deposit money to unlock tasks.

I only gave them my name and number. Is that a problem? Probably not a serious one, but expect more scam messages. Block, report and don't engage.

Could I be in trouble for receiving and passing on money? Possibly, which is why you should tell your bank and the Gardaí as soon as you realise. Being honest early is your best protection.

In short

A job that comes looking for you on WhatsApp, pays you for trivial tasks and then asks you to deposit money is a scam. Don't reply, don't pay and don't let your account be used to move money. If you've already paid, ring your bank and report it to the Gardaí. And report the number in the NoCall directory to warn others.