AI-assisted source summary. Read the scope and exceptions, then follow the original documents below.
Applies to
Online job seekers · US FTC evidence
Time context
2025 alert; historical data from 2024
Sources checked
A documented scam pattern, not an allegation about a named app or recruiter. Complaint counts are historical reported figures, not all losses.
How trust gets manufactured
The FTC describes unexpected messages offering product-boosting or optimization tasks. A fake earnings balance grows as you click. Small real payments may arrive first; later you are asked to deposit your own money, often cryptocurrency, to unlock further work or withdrawals.
FTC analysis counted roughly 20,000 task-scam reports in the first half of 2024, versus about 5,000 across 2023. Those figures describe reports received, not a current total or the number of every person affected.
Treat a demand to pay before receiving wages as a reason to stop. Verify the employer through a separately located official channel. Preserve messages and payment records; do not send another deposit to rescue an on-screen balance.
Original documents used for this summary. Multiple links from one publisher are not independent corroboration. Policies can change after the check date.
AI-assisted research, writing and translation by No Secrets, using the linked public documents. This is a source summary, not firsthand reporting or an independently audited investigation. No affiliate links are used in this article.
The date above records this research pass, not the date of every underlying event. The English and Chinese versions are AI-assisted summaries; the linked original controls if they differ.