A job that pays you to like videos or rate products, then asks you to deposit money? It's a scam.

Reviewed by Colin Balfe on Oct 27, 2026 · Updated Oct 27, 2026 · Every fact links to its source
The short answer

A scam if they ever ask you to pay: the FTC says never pay to get a job or to get paid.

The check

Answer these honestly. A single "yes" to a warning sign is enough to stop.

  • Did the job find you through an unexpected text, WhatsApp or Telegram message?The FTC says real employers will never contact you that way.
  • Are you being paid to like, rate or review things?The FTC says no honest company will pay you for ratings or likes.
  • Have you been asked to deposit money, buy crypto or pay to 'upgrade' or unlock tasks?Never pay to get paid. The FTC calls this a sure sign of a scam.
  • Is your account showing a negative balance, or blocked until you pay more?Singapore police say this is often when victims realize. The balance is invented.
  • Does the recruiter use a free email address, or can you not find them on the company's own website?The BBB and FlexJobs advice is to check that the email uses the company's own domain and that the recruiter appears on its official site.

If it's happening right now

Don't deposit anything else, however close you seem to 'unlocking' your earnings. Stop replying, screenshot the chats, app and payment details, and report it. If you sent money in the last few days, contact your bank, payment app or crypto exchange now.

How this scam works

An unexpected text, WhatsApp or Telegram message offers easy remote work, often from someone claiming to be a recruiter at a well-known company.

The 'job' is simple online tasks, like rating products, liking videos or reviewing hotels, tracked in an app or website.

You get small payouts at first, which builds trust, and you may be added to a group chat full of people celebrating their earnings.

Then you're told to deposit your own money, often crypto, to unlock the next set of tasks or to withdraw what you 'earned'.

The earnings on screen aren't real, and the deposits keep growing until you stop.

What AI changes

The FBI lists employment lures among the scams where it sees AI used, and the Better Business Bureau says AI makes it easier than ever for scammers to impersonate real companies, using their logos and executives' names.

What to do, step by step

  1. Stop depositing.More money won't release the balance. The FTC says the earnings shown aren't real and deposits aren't recoverable from the scammers.
  2. Leave the group chats and block the 'recruiter'.The other members cheering their payouts may be part of the scam.
  3. If you already paid, follow the FTC's steps for how you paid.For crypto, contact the exchange or ATM operator; for a bank transfer, ask your bank to reverse it; for a payment app, report it to the app. See 'What To Do if You Were Scammed'.
  4. If you shared your ID or bank details, protect your identity.If your Social Security number was used, report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan, per the FTC.
  5. Report it.To the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov.

How big this is

About 20,000task scam reports to the FTC in the first half of 2024, up from about 5,000 in all of 2023.FTC Data Spotlight, Dec 2024
$41 millionin reported crypto losses to job scams in the first half of 2024, compared with about $21 million in all of 2023. Crypto was the most common payment method.FTC Data Spotlight, Dec 2024
22,000employment-scam complaints to the BBB Scam Tracker in 2025, up from 11,000 in 2024.WCPO, Jul 14, 2026

Real cases

  • Shelton, Connecticut. A 41-year-old got an unsolicited text offering work-at-home video-liking jobs paid in crypto. He was then told to pay fees, 'taxes' and a 'password reset' and lost $228,000, his entire 401(k) and investment accounts. Police told the family the money couldn't be recovered. (CTinsider, via Yahoo News)
  • Singapore. Police warned that at least 180 people lost at least S$2.6 million in a month to job scams that paid small commissions for social media tasks, then demanded growing transfers for 'advanced tasks'. (Singapore Police Force)

Where to report it

  • The FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
  • The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov
  • The messaging app: report and block the number in WhatsApp or Telegram

Questions people ask

They already paid me a little. Doesn't that mean it's real?

No. The FTC says early small payouts are how task scams build trust before asking for deposits.

Is 'liking YouTube videos' or 'rating products' a real job?

The FTC says no honest company will pay you for ratings or likes.

My account shows thousands in earnings but it's frozen. Should I pay to unlock it?

No. The earnings aren't real, and every unlock fee leads to another. Stop and report it.

A recruiter texted me to reply 'YES'. What happens if I do?

The FTC says replying tells scammers your number is active. Ignore generic or unexpected job messages.

How do I check if a recruiter is real?

Look the company up yourself, check its official careers page, and confirm the recruiter works there. A real recruiter's email should use the company's domain, not a free email service.

Related

Sources

Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.