How do I know if a WhatsApp job offer is fake?

An out-of-proportion salary for trivial tasks, contact you never initiated, pressure to move to Telegram and, sooner or later, a request to send money first. No real job asks you to pay in order to get paid.

I already put money into the task platform, what do I do?

Don’t put in more to “get it back” — that’s part of the scam. Call your bank, save every screenshot, and report it. Shield404’s “I already fell for it” guide walks you through it step by step.

Community-powered scam watch

The fake WhatsApp job offer

A number (often foreign) messages you offering a work-from-home job: liking videos, rating hotels, “tasks” that take 30 minutes… for €100–500 a day. At first they even pay you something small. Eventually, they always ask you to send money first “to unlock your earnings”.

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What the message looks like (real scam example)

WhatsApp from a foreign number — SCAM EXAMPLE

Hi! I’m Laura from HR. We offer work from home, 30 min a day, between €100 and €500 daily. You just need to like videos. Interested?

The tell-tale signs

An impossible salary for doing nothing. No real job pays €500 a day for liking videos.
You never sent a CV anywhere, and “the company” has no verifiable website or contract.
A foreign area code, and the conversation quickly moves to Telegram.
The final twist: to “cash out”, they ask you to deposit money first, or invest through a platform. That money never comes back.

If you’ve already put money in, don’t put in more to “get it back”. That’s the second stage of the same scam. Go to our emergency guide and call your bank.

What to do

Don’t reply. Block and report the number from within WhatsApp.
If you’re unsure about an offer, search the company on Google along with the word “scam”, and check the message with Shield404’s analyser.
If you already shared details or money, follow the “I already fell for it” guide right now.

If you already gave your details

Check our toolbox to see if your email has been exposed in a breach, and consider changing your passwords.

Already fell for it?

Take a breath. You can still act, and the sooner the better. We have a step-by-step emergency guide:

🚑 I already fell for it: what to do right now, in order →

Other scams going around right now

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