How to Spot and Avoid Job Task Scams (5+ Examples)
By: Angel
Last updated: February 9, 2025
Job scammers are rampant everywhere. Worse, they constantly upgrade their strategies to lure unsuspecting victims, especially Filipino virtual assistants. The most common type of job scam is the task scam, which has fooled thousands of victims.
Task scams occur not only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the remote world. As part of our commitment to help Filipino virtual assistants, we’ll discuss various examples of task scams, how they work, and how to avoid them with some real examples we’ve seen through our Facebook group
What is a Task Scam?
Task scams lure victims with offers of easy online work that promises unusually high pay. The scammers first build trust by having victims complete simple tasks, like liking social media posts or reviewing products. Once victims are convinced the opportunity is legitimate, scammers pressure them to “invest” money in what turns out to be a fake business. These scams often start with unsolicited job offers sent through text messages or emails, targeting both job seekers and people who aren’t even looking for work.
However, task scams are more sophisticated and very tempting compared to text scams. Instead of phone numbers, scammers typically use Facebook, WhatsApp, and Viber to contact their victims before moving them to Telegram. Some also register in leading online job sites using fake documents and IDs.
How Do Task Scams Work?
As mentioned earlier, a task scam usually starts with a fake account inviting you to do straightforward tasks but with a high salary offer. Once you accept the job offer, the “recruiter” will no longer ask for a resume or conduct a job interview but will require you to undergo paid trial tasks.
These task scams include rating a product on Lazada and Shopee, listing some places (hotels, resorts, etc.) on Google Maps, or subscribing to some YouTube channels. Each task could range from PHP40 to PHP100, in which it is paid immediately, usually through GCash so you won’t doubt it’s a scam.
If you pass the trial, which you obviously will, the “recruiter” will transfer you to Telegram to chat with their “receptionist.” To further “prove” that it’s not a scam, the group chat has many members claiming to have earned a lot of money and that the job has changed their lives. You’ll then be offered to do additional simple tasks in exchange for more income.
At this point, there will be around 20+ tasks (sometimes called missions) a day, in which you will be paid continually.
Slowly, you’ll start to trust them because of their consistently quick payment. But this is where the scam starts.
Then you’ll be offered to complete irresistible prepaid tasks.
Most scammers pretend to be cryptocurrency experts and will offer you to invest PHP1,000 with a 30% (or higher) commission. Because you’ve only had good experience with them from the start, there’s a high chance you’ll invest. And then, they will pay you as promised in just a few days. From there, they will convince you to invest more and more, with the promise of a higher return.
However, the moment you decline their offer, the scammers will reduce your commission. The group members will also try to convince you to invest more until you’re addicted and can no longer think straight.
Once you’ve invested a considerable amount of money, the scammer will suddenly remove you from the group and block you. And the realization will dawn on you that it was a task scam all along.
Below are perfect examples of certified prepaid task scams:




Task scams usually occur on WhatsApp and Telegram, but this does not necessarily mean everyone on these apps are scammers.
You also have to keep in mind that employers who do not engage in video calls should not automatically be thought of as scammers. Some are simply too busy or just don’t do it.
But no matter what, scammers will never do video calls.
How to Avoid Task Scams
Scammers are getting smarter these days and will do everything they can to fool people and extort their money. So here are a few valuable tips on how to protect yourself and avoid these task scams:
1. Google the Job Poster’s Name Before Applying
Some scammers mention a company name. So before applying, check the name on Google. Legitimate companies and employers usually have a website, a LinkedIn profile, or reviews about them. If you find nothing, they are very likely to be scams. If the job offer is posted anonymously on Facebook, ignore them.
2. Check the Job Poster’s Facebook Profile URL
Many scammers pretend to be someone else and use photos of attractive individuals to lure victims. To check the job poster’s legitimacy, check their Facebook profile URL and compare it to the names on their pages. If they are totally different, report the account to Facebook and avoid them at all costs.

3. Don’t Accept Questionable Jobs
Task scams are very tempting since the pay offer is huge for simple tasks. Here are some of them:
- Typing, retyping, and copy-paste
- Liking certain products on Lazada or Shopee
- Rating hotels, resorts, and restaurants on Google Map
- Writing very short product reviews on items you did not use
- Subscribing to YouTube channels
- Converting images to PDF
Most of them will also require you to use your social media account or make a dummy account.

These tasks are questionable and unethical. There are many free JPG to PDF converters online, so why would someone pay you to do that? Why would you also rate a product you have not used or a place you have not visited? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
4. Don’t Comment ‘How?’ and “Interested’
Commenting ‘How’ and ‘Interested” is common for many online job seekers when applying for jobs on Facebook. Once you do this, these notorious scammers will reply with “DM me” or “Send me a message” with a link to a suspicious Telegram link.
To avoid scammers, comment “Email sent,” Message sent,” or similar comments instead.

5. Never, Ever Send Money
After paying you for simple tasks, scammers will try to get you to deposit money in return for an enormous cashback, which will at first pay you.
But once your investment becomes huge, the scammers will suddenly disappear.
So while it is tempting, never ever send money to them, no matter how high they claim the returns will be.
6. Don’t Try to Fool Scammers
Some people entertain task scams and leave immediately once they accept the payments, typically before they are invited to invest money. We don’t recommend doing this, though. It just becomes an incentive for them to continue scamming other people.
Instead, we strongly suggest reporting them immediately to the PNP-ACG via their official website or Facebook page.
How Does HireTalent.ph Prevent Scammers?
Scammers today try to post authentic-sounding jobs on job websites in an attempt to look legitimate. As such, they are really good at deceiving people.
So, we at HireTalent.ph implement strict measures against task scams. Here’s how we do it:
- Employers have to pay to post jobs. There’s currently no exception to this, as it’s the best defensive mechanism out of anything else.
- We periodically verify our job poster’s identity on Google if possible. All job posts are carefully monitored by a real person every day.
- Each job listing has a Report button, which you can use to report to us. Applicants will see a warning notice if they try to apply for reported jobs.
- We keep a list of known scammer email addresses internally. While we won’t share the details of our process, scammers won’t realize their accounts are restricted, so they won’t be able to post, even if they create new accounts.
- Our Facebook group has very strict rules against scammers. And we ban dozens of them daily…
Final Thoughts
The best way to avoid scammers is to be smarter than them. Don’t join a Facebook group without an active admin and strict rules. Every time you see a job listing on Facebook, you should try to verify it by searching the person, company, or role on Google. It’s a good starting point.
More importantly, don’t rely solely on social media to find clients. Instead, create an account on legit job sites such as HireTalent.ph. We will do our very best to protect you all the way!