What are the red flags of this scam?

An unknown number messages you offering ₹500–₹5,000 per day for simple online tasks — no interview or experience needed • After joining a Telegram group, small payments of ₹100–₹300 actually arrive, deliberately building false trust • 'Prepaid tasks' or 'VIP packages' require you to deposit your own money to access higher-paying work • Withdrawals are blocked or require an ever-increasing 'activation fee' or 'tax'

What should I do if this happened to me?

Block the number and report the message on WhatsApp — no legitimate employer recruits through unsolicited messages • Never deposit money to 'unlock' tasks, VIP upgrades, or any package • Leave the Telegram group and block all accounts involved immediately • Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).

HIGH job Share

Fake part-time job on Telegram pays small amounts then demands growing deposits

An unsolicited WhatsApp message offers part-time pay for liking videos or writing reviews on Telegram. Small real payments build trust, then 'prepaid tasks' require growing deposits that reach lakhs with no withdrawal.

Also known as: Telegram task scam, like and earn fraud, work from home Telegram scam, fake review job

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

Call 1930 now

1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.

What to do right now

1 Block the number and report the message on WhatsApp — no legitimate employer recruits through unsolicited messages
2 Never deposit money to 'unlock' tasks, VIP upgrades, or any package
3 Leave the Telegram group and block all accounts involved immediately
4 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).

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Red flags

⚠ An unknown number messages you offering ₹500–₹5,000 per day for simple online tasks — no interview or experience needed
⚠ After joining a Telegram group, small payments of ₹100–₹300 actually arrive, deliberately building false trust
⚠ 'Prepaid tasks' or 'VIP packages' require you to deposit your own money to access higher-paying work
⚠ Withdrawals are blocked or require an ever-increasing 'activation fee' or 'tax'

Known variants

After tasks and small payouts build trust, the supervisor introduces a 'VIP investment module' — a fake trading app showing large returns. Victims shift from ₹500 task payouts to depositing lakhs. Pune May 2026: combined task+investment losses exceeded ₹1.08 crore.

Last seen: 5/19/2026
Hotel/restaurant review variant: victims get ₹100–₹500 per Google Maps, Zomato, or TripAdvisor review, real payouts build trust, then a VIP package demands a deposit and pivots into a fake trading app. Chandigarh victim lost ₹74 lakh.

Last seen: 5/20/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources