The U.S. unemployment rate has been steadily rising since May, reaching 4.6% in November - the highest level seen since September 2021.
Scammers are taking full advantage of the situation with “task scams”, also known as “gamified job scams”. These schemes appear to offer quick cash for easy online work, but instead push victims to deposit their own money, which they will never be able to get back.
Matthew Stern, CEO of CNC Intelligence, a digital forensics company that helps scam victims, explained: “Task scams are designed to pull victims into a cycle that becomes harder to escape the longer it continues.”
CNC Intelligence analysed Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker data and found that task scam reports have grown 485% so far this year. From January 1 to November 30, 2025, 4,757 reports were filed, which is around 14 reports every day. This is nearly six times higher than the 813 reports in 2024.
Reported losses so far this year have reached $6.8 million, and the real number is likely much higher because the scam tracker only captures a fraction of total activity.
How much are victims losing?
The average reported loss to task scams in 2025 is $9,456, highlighting how financially damaging these schemes can be.
| Amount lost | Share of total reports |
|---|---|
| $1 - $100 | 12% |
| $101 - $500 | 16% |
| $501 - $1000 | 9% |
| $1001 - $5000 | 30% |
| $5001 - $10,000 | 11% |
| $10,001 - $50,000 | 15% |
| $50,001+ | 7% |
Some victims lose only a few hundred dollars, while others are left with five-figure losses.
30% of victims lost between $1,001 and $5,000, but there are also a substantial number of people that reported a loss of over $10,000.
How task scams work
Task scams typically begin with a text offering simple online work, such as rating products, boosting engagement on social media, or “optimizing” apps. A common feature of these scams is the need to complete a certain number of tasks before payment - often 40.
For the first few days, the victim might see small payouts to help convince them the work is legitimate.
But pretty quickly the platform will introduce a catch. Victims will be told they need to deposit their own money in order to complete ‘lucky tasks’, or clear an account deficit.
Payments are mostly requested in cryptocurrency. Fraudsters increasingly prefer getting paid in cryptocurrency because it allows large sums of money to be moved quickly, and they may believe anonymously, across borders.
Stern advises: “The early tasks can feel legitimate, but as soon as pressurized requests for money begin, it's a strong signal something isn’t right. No real employer will ever ask you to pay to access your own earnings. Scammers may show the victim fake account balances in a realistic-looking dashboard to encourage them to continue.”
Once money is sent, victims will be blocked every time they try to withdraw anything.
Fake “mentors” will give excuses as to why withdrawals aren’t possible, and push victims to deposit more money. One victim describes how he was invited to a WhatsApp group with other “employees” who offered help guidance, and showed off how much they had earned that day in an attempt to keep him engaged.
Red flags to watch out for
Most task scams start off in a similar way, with a message very much like the following:
“Hello! My name is Dorothy from Creative Niche. We were really impressed with your profile and would like to provide you the chance to take on a flexible remote role. In this position, you would assist merchants by updating their data, improving their visibility, and managing bookings effectively. You can work from anywhere for 60 to 90 minutes a day and earn anywhere from $200 to $500 each day, with a guaranteed $800 base every four days.”
A few early clues to watch out for that can indicate an opportunity is not legitimate include:
- Payment terms that seem unusually generous
- All communication being through WhatsApp or Telegram
- All payments being made through cryptocurrency
Before taking on any new job, especially a fully remote online role, always do some research.
Search for the company online and take a look at reviews from past employees - if there are any reviews mentioning scams, don’t move forward.
It can also help to contact the company directly through official communication channels and confirm if the job opportunity is real.
If you do end up getting caught up in one of these schemes, Stern says: “the best thing you can do is cut off contact straight away and report it to your local authorities or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). If you’ve sent money, contact your bank or payment provider immediately and make sure to document everything. You may need to show it to the police or your bank.”
Early reporting can help prevent others from being targeted and may improve chances of tracing any lost funds.
Full methodology:
To create this report, CNC Intelligence reviewed Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker submissions from Jan 2024–Nov 30, 2025 containing the terms: “task”, “tasks”, “visibility”, “optimization”, “boosting”, “liking”, “exposure”, or “engagement.” These are classic buzzwords that indicate a task scam.
Each submission was checked to verify it involved a task scam before completing the data analysis. Any deemed not task scams were removed from the dataset.
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by Web Desk via Digital Information World
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