A task scam is a fake job that pays you a small amount for easy online tasks, such as rating products, then tells you to top up a cryptocurrency account to get your earnings. Scamwatch says those earnings can never be withdrawn. The rule that catches every version: a job that needs you to pay money to make money could be a scam, so stop and check. Losses to job and employment scams reported to Scamwatch jumped from $13.7 million in 2024 to $24.8 million in 2025, an 81.5% increase.
How the top-up trap works, stage by stage
Task scams feel like a job because they borrow the shape of one: a recruiter, a task list, a balance that grows. The table shows each stage and what is really going on.
| Stage | What you see | What is really happening |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | An unexpected text, or a message on WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, about easy work from home | You did not apply; the "recruiter" found you |
| Hiring | You are "hired" within minutes, with no interview | There is no employer checking your skills |
| Tasks | Simple online tasks, such as rating products, and a small payment | The payment buys your trust |
| Top-up | You are told to top up an account, often in cryptocurrency, to unlock your earnings | Your own money now moves to the scammer |
| Withdrawal | The balance on screen keeps growing, but you cannot take it out | The "earnings" were never real money |
Each stage matches a warning sign on the Scamwatch jobs and employment scams page: unexpected contact on messaging apps, a quick hiring process with no interview, and being told to top up an account with your own money or cryptocurrency.
Why the earnings never come out
The number on the dashboard is not a bank balance. It is a figure the scammer controls, and it exists to make the next top-up feel worth it. Scamwatch is plain about the ending: people are told to top up a cryptocurrency account to get their earnings, which they can never withdraw.
That is why the money only ever flows one way. A real employer pays you; you never pay it to work. Scamwatch's rule covers every variation of the trick, whatever the task: any job that requires you to pay money to make money should make you stop and check.
Compare it with how a real job pays in Australia. Your employer pays wages into your bank account, pay slips must be given within 1 working day of pay day, and super is paid on top. From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, employers pay super guarantee contributions for each payday instead of each quarter, still at 12%. Our guide to payslip requirements in Australia lists what a real payslip shows, and the guide to your first job in Australia or New Zealand covers tax numbers and super.
A task scam has none of this: no contract, no payslip, no tax file number, no super. Just a balance you cannot reach.
The scale of job scams, in official numbers
Job scams are growing fast. In 2024, Scamwatch received more than 3000 reports of job scams, with reported losses of $13.7 million. The National Anti-Scam Centre's report for 2025 puts losses at $24.8 million, an 81.5% jump.
The government has pushed back. The National Anti-Scam Centre's Job Scam Fusion Cell, which ran from September 2024 to March 2025, removed more than 29,000 scam social media accounts and 1850 fake job advertisements, and disrupted scammers impersonating DFAT, the Department of Home Affairs and APSJobs. The National Anti-Scam Centre's fusion cell update has the detail.
One lesson from those numbers: a familiar name is not proof. Scamwatch says not to trust a job ad just because it appears on a trusted platform or website, because scammers post fake ads too.
Task scams and their close relatives
Task scams sit in a family of fake jobs. Knowing the others helps you spot a new disguise:
- Money mule jobs. Scamwatch says these often use titles like "administrator", "finance agent" or "remote cashier". Moving money for them is a serious crime even if you do not know how the money is used.
- Fee-first jobs. You are asked to pay a "recruitment fee" or for training materials before starting.
- Fake interview trips. New Zealand's National Cyber Security Centre, in its job scams guidance, says scammers often move the chat to WhatsApp quickly, ask for sensitive information early, and may ask you to pay for flights and accommodation for an interview, claiming it will be refunded.
- Fake approvals. The Labour Inspectorate does not approve job offers, so an offer letter with its "stamp of approval" is a scam sign.
Real administration work looks very different: a named employer, a location, a salary and a normal application, as the listings in our administration jobs category show. Scams aimed at overseas job seekers follow the same patterns; PinoyAbroad's report on direct hire Facebook scams that ask for money shows how they target Filipino applicants.
Check any online job before you start
- Ask yourself who contacted whom. If a stranger messaged you about easy money, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise.
- Look for a real hiring process. A genuine employer reads your CV and interviews you; a hire with no interview is a warning sign.
- Call the company back on a phone number you found yourself, as Scamwatch advises, and do not let anyone rush your decision.
- Refuse every payment. No top-up, no fee, no training pack, no "deposit" to release earnings.
- Keep your documents. Do not send a passport or identity documents to an employer or recruiter unless you are certain they are genuine.
- Hold back your bank details. New Zealand's National Cyber Security Centre says a genuine employer will not need them until you have accepted a job.
- Never move money through your own account for an "employer".
Your CV can protect you too. Scamwatch suggests being careful about putting your physical address or date of birth on your resume. Build AI CV can help you make a clean, professional CV without those details. Our job application checklist adds the checks to run before you apply, and our guide on how to write a CV for Australia covers what to leave out.
Already paid? What to do now
Stop paying, even if the "platform" says one more top-up or a release fee will free your balance. Every further payment follows the same pattern as the first.
Then act quickly. Talk to your bank or card provider, keep screenshots of every message and transaction, and get help with the next steps. Scamwatch says IDCARE, Australia and New Zealand's national identity and cyber support service, can help scam victims make a free plan on 1800 595 160.
If the scam started with a job offer, read our job offer checklist for Australia and New Zealand before you reply to the next one.
Common mistakes with task scams
- Trusting the first payment. A small payout is part of the trap, not proof of a real job.
- Paying "one last" top-up. The balance is never released, so each payment only adds to the loss.
- Trusting a well-known name. Scammers impersonate government agencies and post on trusted platforms.
- Letting money pass through your account. That can make you a money mule, which is a serious crime.
- Keeping quiet. The sooner you talk to your bank and get a plan, the more you can protect.
Frequently asked questions
What is a task scam?
A task scam is a fake job where you are paid a small amount for simple online tasks, such as rating products, and are then told to top up a cryptocurrency account to get your earnings. Scamwatch says the earnings can never be withdrawn.
Why did the task job pay me at first?
The first small payment is what makes the job feel real. It comes before the request to top up an account with your own money or cryptocurrency, which Scamwatch lists as a warning sign of a job scam.
Can I get my money back from a task scam?
Stop paying straight away, including any "fee" to release your balance, and talk to your bank. In Australia and New Zealand, IDCARE can help scam victims make a free plan on 1800 595 160.
Is it a crime to move money for an online job?
It can be. Scamwatch says money mule job offers often use titles like administrator, finance agent or remote cashier, and acting as a money mule is a serious crime even if you do not know how the money is used.
How does a real job pay you in Australia?
A real employer pays you, never the other way round. Pay slips must be given within 1 working day of pay day, and from 1 July 2026 employers pay super guarantee contributions for each payday under Payday Super.
Key takeaways
- A task scam pays a little for online tasks, then demands top-ups you can never withdraw.
- Any job that needs you to pay to make money could be a scam.
- Job scam losses reported to Scamwatch rose to $24.8 million in 2025.
- Real jobs pay you, with payslips and super; you never pay them.
- Already paid? Stop, call your bank and contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
