Gamified Job Scams on the Rise: How Scammers Steal Money and Build Trust with Fake Task Offers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning about 'task scams,' which involve gamified job offers sent via text message or WhatsApp that require completing simple tasks like liking videos or rating images to earn money. The scam builds trust by initially providing small payouts, but then asks the user to deposit money to continue tasks and 'earn' more. Ultimately, the promised earnings are not paid out, and any deposited funds are stolen. Reports of task scams have risen significantly in recent years; there were 1,000 reports in 2022, 5,000 in 2023, and over 20,000 reported cases through June 2024 alone.