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A job offer or "paid tasks" — looks like a scam? What do I do?
First, breathe. There’s one rule that cuts through almost all of these scams: a real job pays you money, it doesn’t ask you for it. If “in order to earn” you first have to pay a fee or deposit money, it’s a scam — no matter how real the group looks or how many “satisfied members” it has.
First steps, right now
- Stop all payments. The simple rule: a real job never asks you for money to work or to receive the money you've earned.
- Don't do any more "tasks" and don't deposit anything extra, no matter how close you seem to a "withdrawal".
- If you paid by card, call your bank and ask for a chargeback; if you sent a bank transfer or crypto, ask for a payment recall.
- Gather the evidence (conversations, the website, amounts sent), then block them and leave the group.
- Report it to DNSC (Romania's national cybersecurity directorate) and, if you lost money, file a complaint with the Police (Poliția Română).
What NOT to do
- Don't pay any "activation fee / withdrawal fee / VIP level fee".
- Don't deposit your own money on a platform that promises you bigger earnings.
- Don't hand over card details, documents or photos of your ID.
How to spot it next time
- An unexpected message on WhatsApp / Telegram / Instagram, "on behalf of" a big brand (Amazon, Booking), for simple tasks: likes, reviews, "optimisations".
- You earn small amounts at first, then you're asked for a "fee" to withdraw or to move up to a better "level".
- You're asked to deposit your own money in order to "earn" more.
- No real interview, an unrealistic salary, everything happens only over chat.
This guide is meant to help you act fast. It does not replace official instructions from your bank, the police or the authorities. When in doubt, call the numbers above.