A text offers easy remote work for great pay — no interview, just reply YES. Here's how the scam works, how to tell, and what to do if you already started.
It starts with a friendly text from a “recruiter” you've never heard of. The job is remote, the hours are short, the pay is high, and there's no interview. In April 2026 the FTC put it bluntly: that job offer text is probably a scam. (FTC)
These texts aren't a small problem. When the FTC last broke out the numbers, about 20,000 people reported “task” job scams in the first half of 2024, compared with about 5,000 in all of 2023, and reported losses to job scams overall topped $220 million in those six months. (FTC) Here's what the messages look like, the two ways they take your money, and what to do.
The FTC says the sender claims to be a recruiter for a company you know and offers something like an “online assessor” or “remote position.” The text mentions the pay but not what the job actually involves, and instead of a link it asks you to reply “YES” or “INTERESTED.” (FTC)
If you reply, the conversation usually moves to WhatsApp or Telegram, where a “trainer” or “coordinator” explains the work. From there it goes one of two ways.
The task scam. You're paid to do simple online tasks — rating products, “optimizing” apps, liking videos. An app or website shows your earnings climbing with each task. Then you're told to deposit your own money, often in cryptocurrency, to unlock the next set of tasks or to withdraw what you've “earned.” The FBI says victims see a dashboard of earnings but can't withdraw them. (FBI IC3) In one New York case, the state attorney general said victims were sent to fake “product review” sites and then charged invented fees, like a “blockchain verification” charge, when they tried to cash out. (New York Attorney General)
The fake check. You're “hired” and sent a check to buy equipment or supplies, and told to send part of it back or on to a “vendor.” The FTC says the check is fake and will bounce — which can take weeks — and the bank will want the full amount back from you, while the scammer keeps the money you sent. (FTC)
You should never have to pay to get a job or to get paid. The FTC calls that “a sure sign of a scam.” (FTC) The FBI's version: never send money to an employer. (FBI IC3) If a job asks you to deposit money, buy crypto, pay for training or a “starter kit,” or send back part of a check, it isn't a job.
Stop sending money, even if you're told one more payment will release everything — that's how losses grow. Then act on what you gave away. The FTC's advice: (FTC)
Watch for the second scam. People who lose money are often contacted by someone offering to get it back for a fee. The FBI warned in July 2026 that scammers are even impersonating its Internet Crime Complaint Center, and says the real IC3 has no social media presence and “will never ask for payment to recover lost funds.” (FBI IC3) The FBI also advises against paying for crypto recovery services. (FBI IC3)
Share the text, email or voicemail to Shieldr and get a plain-English verdict — safe, suspicious or scam — with the reasons it spotted. It's one more check before you reply to anyone, not a guarantee.
Get Shieldr on the App StoreNot with a generic, out-of-the-blue text offering a remote role. The FTC says real employers will never contact you that way, by text, WhatsApp or Telegram, with a job you didn't apply for. If you're unsure, look up the company's careers page yourself and contact it there.
Almost certainly. The FTC says not to trust anyone who says they'll pay you to give a positive rating or like things online, and the FBI says real employers don't ask you to send money, often in cryptocurrency, to unlock work or earnings.
Possibly, if you act fast. Contact the company you paid through right away (your bank, the payment app, or the crypto exchange) and ask it to reverse the payment, then report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. Ignore anyone who contacts you offering to recover the money for a fee.
Related: the “Hi Mom, new number” scam, another text that starts with a friendly message from a stranger, and how to check if a link is safe before you tap it.