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   Task scams are tricking thousands, costing jobseekers millions   
      
   Date:   
   Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:45:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Researchers found thousands of 'gamified job scams' tricking jobseekers.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   New research from CNC Intelligence has revealed a huge increase in the number   
   of 'task scams' or 'gamified job scams' targeting jobseekers in 2025.    
      
   Pretty much everyone will be aware of the increasingly difficult job market,   
   with over 7.5 million Americans currently unemployed. That has opened the    
   door for scammers to prey on those looking for new opportunities.    
      
   The 'task scam' begins with, you guessed it, a task. It's typically liking a   
   video, commenting on a product, or leaving a review. From there, the scammers   
   will build trust with a small pay-out - often via cryptocurrency, but that's   
   where the generosity ends.    
      
   Escalating demands   
      
   This is where it starts getting serious. Targets are then encouraged to   
   deposit cryptocurrency into an account to then complete further tasks  - but,   
   of course, this never happens.    
      
   Withdrawals are blocked, and 'trusted' contacts within the scheme will   
   persuade victims to keep depositing more funds in order to 'unlock' further   
   earnings . These earnings never materialize, and victims are left with huge   
   losses.    
      
   In fact, the research has identified a total loss of $6.8 million to this    
   type of scam in 2025, marking a 485% year-on-year increase.    
      
   That's a total of 4757 task-scam reports - almost six times higher than the   
   813 seen in 2024.    
      
   Task scams are designed to pull victims into a cycle that becomes harder to   
   escape the longer it continues," explains Matthew Stern, CEO of CNC   
   Intelligence.    
      
   "The early tasks can feel legitimate, but as soon as pressurized requests for   
   money begin, it's a strong signal something isnt right. No real employer will   
   ever ask you to pay to access your own earnings. Other early clues include   
   payment terms that seem unusually generous, or all communication being    
   through WhatsApp or Telegram."    
      
   The job market is incredibly difficult right now, which makes it all the more   
   important to be careful with the savings you have.    
      
   The main thing to remember is, just like your bank won't call you to ask for   
   your details, legitimate job postings will not ask you to pay them when you   
   complete jobs for them, especially not with cryptocurrency.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/task-scams-are-tricking-thousands-costi   
   ng-jobseekers-millions   
      
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