Job or 'paid task' offer that needed money first

• 'Hi, I'm from a recruitment agency, we have a part-time position paying $300 a day.'
• A 'work' app or site with a task counter and a growing balance.
• A group chat of other 'workers' posting screenshots of withdrawals.
• Sets of tasks that go negative, needing a 'top-up' before you can continue.

The early payouts are real money, and they prove the system works. By the time a deposit is required you've put in hours and can see a balance you feel you've earned. Group chats supply social proof and a bit of peer pressure. Fake-check versions work the same way: the check clears for a few days, you send money back, then it bounces.

• Don't deposit anything to unlock, upgrade, or withdraw. Real jobs pay you, not the other way round.
• Never deposit a check from a new employer and send part of it anywhere.
• If you paid, contact your bank or exchange straight away.
• Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and add the recruiter's number here.

More in the tips: Job and task scams.