Spot the pattern
Be cautious when an offer promises easy earnings, requires a deposit to release a balance or asks you to buy access to paid tasks. Screenshots of other people's payouts do not prove the business is real. Do not let a small initial payment persuade you to send a larger amount.
Refuse money-moving tasks
Never accept a check and forward part of it, buy gift cards for a recruiter or use your bank account to process someone else's funds. Do not receive and reship packages for a stranger. Keep marketplace and freelance communications within the channel when its protections require it.
Verify through another route
Find the official company website independently and confirm the opportunity there. Read contract terms and cancellation rules before paying for training or equipment. A recognizable logo or familiar name in a message is not proof of identity.
If something already happened
Stop contact, save evidence and contact your bank or payment provider promptly. Change compromised passwords and use official identity-theft help where relevant. Report the incident through the FTC's official consumer resources. Avoid anyone offering guaranteed recovery for an advance fee.
Your working checklist
- Pause any offer that requires paying to unlock wages or task earnings.
- Check the organization through a route that the sender did not supply.
- If money or identity data was exposed, contact the relevant bank or official recovery service promptly.
What if the offer paid me a small amount first?
An initial payment does not establish that later requests are legitimate. Some scams use a small payout to encourage a larger deposit. Evaluate the underlying work, contract and money flow independently. Do not send more money merely to recover what you have already put in.