What are the red flags of this scam?

You received an unsolicited text, WhatsApp, or Telegram message offering flexible part-time work — legitimate employers do not recruit through cold messages • Early tasks pay small real amounts — this is intentional; the payouts build trust before the demands start • You are asked to deposit cryptocurrency into the platform to unlock 'premium tasks' or 'higher-paying levels' — no real job requires you to invest your own money to earn • A 'system error' or 'task reset' occurs mid-session and you are told a deposit is needed to recover your pending payout within a deadline • Withdrawals are blocked by ever-larger 'compliance fees,' 'tax deposits,' or 'account verification charges' • The recruiter's contact account was recently created and has minimal history; the platform has no verifiable company address or Canadian registration

What should I do if this happened to me?

Stop communicating with the recruiter and do not make any further deposits — every new fee demanded is another theft • Document everything: screenshot the conversation, the platform URL, and all payment confirmations • If you sent cryptocurrency, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre immediately — while crypto is rarely recovered, early reports help authorities track the platforms • Report to your provincial consumer protection office and local police — task scam reports help shut down platforms faster • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

HIGH job Last reported: Oct 11, 2026 Share

An unsolicited text offers flexible online tasks — small payouts build trust before crypto deposits are demanded and never returned

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. An unsolicited text or WhatsApp message offers part-time pay for rating products, liking videos, or data entry. Small early payouts build trust. Then "premium tasks" require escalating crypto deposits that are never refunded. Task scam reports jumped 485% in one year in Canada.

An unsolicited text or WhatsApp message offers part-time pay for rating products, liking videos, or data entry. Small early payouts build trust. Then "premium tasks" require escalating crypto deposits that are never refunded. Task scam reports jumped 485% in one year in Canada.

Also known as: task scam Canada, fake product review job Canada, Telegram part-time job scam, WhatsApp job scam Canada, crypto task platform fraud, fake Amazon review job Canada, online task work-from-home scam, gamified job scam Canada

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Stop communicating with the recruiter and do not make any further deposits — every new fee demanded is another theft
2 Document everything: screenshot the conversation, the platform URL, and all payment confirmations
3 If you sent cryptocurrency, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre immediately — while crypto is rarely recovered, early reports help authorities track the platforms
4 Report to your provincial consumer protection office and local police — task scam reports help shut down platforms faster
5 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ You received an unsolicited text, WhatsApp, or Telegram message offering flexible part-time work — legitimate employers do not recruit through cold messages
⚠ Early tasks pay small real amounts — this is intentional; the payouts build trust before the demands start
⚠ You are asked to deposit cryptocurrency into the platform to unlock 'premium tasks' or 'higher-paying levels' — no real job requires you to invest your own money to earn
⚠ A 'system error' or 'task reset' occurs mid-session and you are told a deposit is needed to recover your pending payout within a deadline
⚠ Withdrawals are blocked by ever-larger 'compliance fees,' 'tax deposits,' or 'account verification charges'
⚠ The recruiter's contact account was recently created and has minimal history; the platform has no verifiable company address or Canadian registration

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources