Australian phone number search
Job offer scams by text and message
By the StoryCheck team · 5 min read · Published 18 August 2026
It arrives as a text or a WhatsApp message from a recruiter you never contacted. Flexible hours, work from home, paid daily. The first payment is usually real, which is precisely why the scheme works.
How the task scam runs
You are given simple tasks: rate products, like listings, complete sets. Small payments arrive and can be withdrawn, which establishes that the platform pays. Then a task requires you to deposit your own money first to unlock a higher tier, with the promise of a larger commission. That deposit is the product. Withdrawals then fail, and each failure comes with a fee or a tax that requires another deposit to resolve.
A real employer never requires you to pay money in order to be paid. If work requires a deposit, it is not work.
The money mule version
Some job scams do not want your deposit, they want your bank account. The role is described as a payment processor or a local agent: money arrives, you forward it on, you keep a percentage. That is money laundering, the funds are somebody else's stolen money, and the account holder is the one who is traceable.
Checks that end it quickly
Look up the company independently and call the number on its own website, not the one in the message. Check whether the recruiter's email uses the company domain or a free provider. Check the sending number: a real recruitment agency does not contact candidates from a number with no history. A reverse lookup will tell you what the line is.
| What you see | Genuine | Scam |
|---|---|---|
| How they found you | You applied, or your profile is public on a job site | An unsolicited text about a role you never sought |
| Money direction | Money only ever flows to you | You must deposit to unlock earnings |
| The email domain | The company's own domain | A free provider, or a lookalike domain |
| Where it happens | A recognised platform or company system | Entirely inside a messaging app |
| Handling money for them | Never part of an entry-level role | Framed as processing payments for a commission |
| Interview | A real conversation, often video | Instant hire, no questions asked |
Common questions
The first payments were real. Does that mean it is legitimate?
No, it means the bait worked as designed. Early withdrawals are funded deliberately to establish trust before the deposit request arrives.
They used a real company's name. Is that proof?
No. Company names are free to borrow. Look the company up independently and call the number on its own website to ask whether the recruiter exists.
I let money pass through my account. What now?
Stop immediately and contact your bank yourself to explain. Forwarding funds is a criminal exposure even when you were deceived, and raising it yourself is much better than waiting.
Related guides
Find out who is really behind the number
The check is private and takes about 60 seconds. The person is not notified and never finds out you looked.
Check a number now