Has your iPhone dinged with a Messages or WhatsApp notification recently about a curious job offer? You’re not alone, as today’s FTC warning about text message gamified job scams—or ‘task scams’—makes clear.
Today the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) published a new article aimed at consumer protection.
The subject? A special kind of job scam called a task scam.
Task scams usually begin with a text or WhatsApp message offering you a job and promising big payouts for minimal, gamified ‘work.’
The FTC explains:
Task scams ask you to do simple repetitive tasks such as liking videos or rating product images. Your “job” is to complete these tasks in an app or online platform that creates the illusion you’re racking up commissions with every click. Tasks are often assigned in sets of forty, with the promise of leveling up once you complete your set. You may even get a so-called double task that earns a bigger commission. Many people report getting small payouts at first, which give them greater trust in the system.
So how do these scammers steal your money while making you think you’re earning money? At some point, they’ll say you have to make a deposit to complete your next set of tasks and get your supposed earnings out of the app. You “charge up” your account to avoid losing what the app shows you’ve earned, believing you’ll get all the money you deposited back, along with your commission, once you complete the set. But no matter what the system says you’ve earned, you didn’t. That money isn’t real. And if you deposit money, you won’t get it back.
Task scams reported to the FTC have risen sharply in recent years:
The actual numbers for people impacted is likely much higher, since many cases have likely gone unreported. But the growth reflected in these numbers points to a worrying trend.
I’ve personally gotten a bunch of these task scam text messages on my iPhone, especially over the past year or so. They can be disarming and compelling like many of the most successful scams are.
Texting spam is an ongoing problem for iPhone and Android alike, but this story highlights how important stronger message filtering tools are—not just for preventing annoying messages, but also keeping unsuspecting users from getting scammed.
Have you gotten messages for task scams? Let us know in the comments.
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Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.
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