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"Earn $300 a day liking videos" - the task scam explained

The part-time job that pays for small tasks, why it pays you at first, and the moment it turns into you paying them.

Updated 17 September 2026·2 min read

Hi, I'm Jessica from TalentHub Recruitment. We have a flexible remote role: rate products and like videos on our platform, 20 minutes a day, $150-300 daily. No experience needed. Interested? Message me on WhatsApp: +44 7xxx xxxxxx

It comes by text, WhatsApp, Telegram or a LinkedIn message. The job is easy, the pay is silly, and - here's the trick - they really do pay you at first.

Short answer: it's a scam, and one of the fastest-growing ones. The "tasks" are real clicks on a fake platform. The first day's earnings ($20-$50) really land in your account so you trust it. Then the platform requires you to "top up" to unlock higher-paying task sets, and the money only flows one way.

How it unfolds

  1. Recruiter. Unsolicited message with a friendly name, a real-sounding agency, and a WhatsApp/Telegram number.
  2. Training. A "mentor" walks you through the platform. You complete 30 tasks, your balance shows $28, you withdraw it. It arrives. Trust established.
  3. The combo task. Some tasks are "premium" and put your balance negative. To continue (and withdraw), you must deposit $100 in crypto. Then $500. Then $2,000.
  4. The trap. Your dashboard shows thousands in earnings you can't withdraw until you clear the "negative balance". The mentor is encouraging and very available. People borrow money at this stage.
  5. Gone. The platform stops loading. The group chat (full of other "workers" - all scammers) is deleted.

The tells

  • A job offer you didn't apply for, with pay far above the work.
  • "Interview" or onboarding done entirely on WhatsApp or Telegram.
  • Payment in crypto (USDT) in either direction.
  • A platform with a made-up brand ("TikTok Shop Optimization", "Amazon Product Booster") that isn't the real company's site.
  • Any moment where you have to deposit to keep earning.

What to do

  1. Don't reply. Block the number.
  2. Never deposit to "unlock" wages. A job that needs your money is not a job.
  3. If you already deposited: stop now, whatever the balance on screen says. It isn't real. Keep screenshots, report to your bank and to the police (Action Fraud in the UK, reportfraud.ftc.gov in the US).
  4. Report the recruiter's profile on LinkedIn/WhatsApp so others get warned.

Not sure? Paste it

Scamed flags the no-experience high pay, the move to Telegram and the deposit request - the three parts of every task scam.

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