Task Scams Overview
A "Task Scam" is a fraudulent scheme where scammers offer easy money for completing simple online tasks.
The tasks vary, but they typically involve actions like:
Liking certain YouTube videos
Rating mobile applications
Rating or leaving positive feedback on various websites (like Amazon)
Downloading mobile applications
All of the tasks are generally easy to perform and require little to no effort. But it's important to understand that the simplistic nature of these tasks are actually a part of the scam.
How Task Scams Operate
The scammer will reach out to their victim via email or a chat message on social media. WhatsApp and Telegram are two other very popular avenues that a scammer may use to contact their victims.
There have been reports of scammers reaching out to their victims through a standard text message. Though this is a rare occurrence, you should be suspicious of any text message you receive from an unknown number.
The scammer will lure their victim by offering a lucrative method of making money with minimal effort. If the victim agrees, the scammer will explain what task (or series of tasks) they want done and how the victim will be paid. The victim will usually be paid for the first few tasks they complete for the scammer. The payment that is received is often minimal, but it builds trust between the scammer and victim.
Paying victims for the first few tasks is a classic social engineering technique known as the "foot-in-the-door" technique. This type of social engineering technique is wildly successful because it creates a psychological dependency, making the victim more likely to comply with future requests, even when they become increasingly suspicious.
After building up trust, the scammer will tell their victim that they have an opportunity to make significantly more money for completing tasks. However, the scammer will state that in order to proceed, the victim will need to pay a fee or put down a deposit. The scammer will then provide the user with a "crypto-wallet" address where they need to send the fee or deposit. Once the victim sends the money to the scammer, the scammer will disappear.
The fee or deposit the scammer requires will be more than the amount of money the victim has received from the scammer.
A "Crypto-Wallet" is a digital storage device used to hold, send, and receive cryptocurrencies. While cryptocurrencies aren't illegitimate on their own, scammers often use them for malicious purposes. Once a cryptocurrency transaction is confirmed, it's generally irreversible, making it impossible to recover provided funds.
What to Do if You're Targeted
Learn to recognize the following "red-flags":
Unsolicited Job Offers: Be wary of unsolicited job offers, especially those promising high returns for minimal effort.
Pressure to Act Quickly: It's important to slow down, scammers rely on urgency to force their victims into making decisions they might not otherwise make.
Unrealistic Earning Opportunities: Legitimate work-from-home opportunities exist, but they rarely involve upfront payments or promise unrealistic earnings.
Lack of Transparency: Be very suspicious of any company that you cannot verify.
If any of these red-flags exists, ignore the message and block the user immediately. You should also report the user if the platform they've contacted you through allows for it.
Preventing Task Scams
Like several other scams we've covered previously, there's no one solution for preventing this type of scam. Learning to recognize the red-flags listed above is the best method for preventing yourself from becoming a scam victim.
Trust your instincts; if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
