Job Offer on WhatsApp or Telegram Paying You for Likes or Tasks: Scam

Treat it as a scam until you've checked another way. Real jobs don't pay you to like videos, and they never ask you to pay first.

What it looks like

A message on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram from someone you don't know:

Hi! We're hiring part-time. Like a few videos a day and earn €50–€200, paid every day. Interested?

At first they really pay you a few euros. Then you're moved to a group where tasks cost money to "unlock", your earnings get "stuck", and you're told to pay a fee to withdraw them. Spain's INCIBE described a case in October 2026 where the payments asked for grew from €120 to €1,300.

A second version asks you to receive money into your account and send it on, or to open a bank account for them. That makes you a money mule, which is money laundering, even if you didn't know.

Red flags

• A job offer you didn't apply for.
• Easy money for likes, reviews, ratings or product photos.
• Being paid a little at first, then asked to deposit money.
• "Your account is frozen, pay to release your earnings".
• Anyone asking for your bank account, your card or a photo of your ID for a "job".
• Money to receive and pass on.

If it's happening now

1. Stop replying and don't pay anything more.
2. Never let anyone use your bank account, and never open one for someone else.
3. Report the profile or the ad on the app where you saw it.
4. Keep the chats and every payment's record.

Already paid or let money through your account?

• Call your bank now on the number on your card and tell them everything, including any money that passed through your account.
• Report it to the police and give your bank a copy.
• Don't pay "recovery" services that promise to get your money back. They're often the same people.

Questions people ask

They actually paid me. Doesn't that make it real? No. The first small payments are bait, to make you trust them before they ask for more.

What's a money mule? Someone whose bank account is used to move stolen money. In the UK, Cifas found that people under 30 made up 61% of suspected money-mule cases in 2024. It's a crime even if you were tricked.

Can I get my deposits back? Tell your bank straight away and report it. Bizum payments and crypto are usually hard or impossible to reverse, which is why scammers ask for them.

How do I spot a real job? You applied for it, you can find the company yourself, you spoke to a person, and nobody asks you for money.

Can Kiwi check the offer? Yes. Press the button, paste the message, and Kiwi tells you what looks wrong.