The "jobs" don't exist but consumers don't find that out until they've sent money
of ConsumerAffairsThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reported a sharp rise in online job scams, particularly "task scams." These scams involve consumers being asked to complete tasks, often related to app optimization or product boosting.
At first, scammers may provide small payments to convince victims the job is real. But soon, they ask for money from the consumer to continue the tasks, promising higher payouts that never come.
From 2020 to 2023, reports of these scams increased dramatically, growing from zero to 5,000 reports in 2023 and then jumping to around 20,000 in the first half of 2024.
These scams have contributed to a large increase in job scam losses, which topped $220 million in just the first half of 2024. Nearly 40% of the reported job scam losses in 2024 were linked to task scams.
Cryptocurrency is often the payment method used in these scams, with reported losses in cryptocurrency reaching $41 million in 2024 alone.
What to do
The FTC offers advice on how to avoid these scams:
- Ignore unexpected job offers via text or WhatsApp. Legitimate employers dont contact you that way.
- Never pay money upfront to get paid.
- Dont trust offers to pay you for rating or liking things onlineits illegal.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-12-12 19:03:56
