Many people looking for extra work meet offers that look like jobs but are designed to take money. The patterns repeat, and one rule covers most of them: a genuine employer does not charge you to start working.
Patterns to recognise
- Registration or training fee. You are “selected” and asked to pay for onboarding, a certificate, a starter kit or software before the first task.
- Task apps that require deposits. You earn small amounts for liking videos or rating products, then are told to deposit money to “unlock” larger tasks or withdraw your balance. The balance is never released.
- Overpayment and refund. You receive a payment larger than agreed and are asked to send the difference back. The original payment is later reversed.
- Moving money for others. A “payment agent” or “transfer assistant” role asks you to receive and forward funds. This can involve you in money laundering.
- Banking access or documents up front. Requests for your bank login, card details, verification codes or identity documents before any real contract exists.
Warning lights in the conversation
Pay far above the going rate for simple work; contact only through messaging apps; urgency (“places close tonight”); a recruiter who cannot name a real company address or a contract; pressure to keep the offer private.
Checks before replying
- Find the company through an independent search and its official website, and contact it through those channels — not the number in the message.
- Ask for a written contract and read who pays whom. Any arrow pointing from you to them is a red mark on the chart.
- Never share verification codes, passwords or card numbers.
- Never pay to receive work, and never forward money you received from strangers.
If you have already paid
Stop all payments and contact your bank immediately; some transfers can be contested if reported quickly. Keep screenshots and transaction records. In Brazil, file a police report (boletim de ocorrência) and consider contacting your state consumer protection body (Procon). Report the profile or ad to the platform where you found it.
Limits
Fraud patterns change quickly. This list is not complete, and an offer that avoids these signs is not automatically legitimate. Sextant Pad never asks readers for payment of any kind.