A recruiter offers you a job you didn't apply for — with fees, tasks, or bank details required upfront
A message on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, or by text offers a well-paid remote job — data entry, product reviewing, "brand marketing", or a role at a real UK company you didn't apply to. The catch: you have to pay for training materials, complete unpaid "tasks" that never lead to real pay, or hand over bank details for "salary setup" that are used to move stolen money.
Also known as: fake recruiter WhatsApp scam, task job scam UK, money mule recruitment, LinkedIn job offer fraud, fake home-working scam
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 Never pay any employer for training, equipment, or compliance checks before starting work — real UK employers pay you, not the other way around
- 2 Verify the company at Companies House at https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk before accepting any offer
- 3 If the 'job' involves handling money on someone else's behalf, stop immediately — this is money-muling. Even innocent victims can be prosecuted, but early self-reporting to your bank protects you
- 4 Do not send passport or utility bills to a recruiter — real HR only requests these AFTER a signed contract and via a secure HR portal
- 5 Report the recruiter to the platform (LinkedIn 'Report this profile'; WhatsApp block + report) and the fake company to Action Fraud
- 6 If you already paid or shared bank details, contact your bank immediately and change passwords
- 7 Report to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
Red flags
- ⚠ You are offered a job by WhatsApp, Telegram, or text — you never applied and never uploaded a CV to their platform
- ⚠ The pay is unusually high for the work described (£300-£800 per day for simple tasks like reviewing products)
- ⚠ You are asked to pay upfront for training, uniforms, a laptop, a DBS check, or 'compliance software'
- ⚠ The 'job' involves depositing money into your account and forwarding a portion to someone else — this is money-muling and is a criminal offence in the UK, even if you didn't know
- ⚠ The employer's website exists but has no companies house filing, no LinkedIn presence for the founder, and a domain registered in the last 3 months
- ⚠ You're asked for a copy of your passport, driving licence, and utility bill for 'HR' — often reused for identity fraud against other victims
Known variants
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'Task job' variant: victim signs up to a platform to review products or 'boost' hotel/app ratings, does small tasks that pay in credit, then hits a 'combo task' requiring a deposit to unlock. Deposits keep increasing until the victim realises they can never withdraw.
Last seen: 6/30/2026
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Money mule variant: the 'job' involves depositing cheques or receiving faster payments and forwarding a portion by crypto or cash. Bank accounts get frozen when the source funds are traced. Cifas records that mule accounts have Cifas markers filed against them, making future banking difficult.
Last seen: 5/15/2026