“Get paid for reviews!” - Sounds like a dream gig that will rapidly increase your bank balance without much effort. Scammers have lately been spamming potential victims on WhatsApp, asking them to rate businesses on Google, and in return, they are paid a sum. But here’s the catch — once you’re hooked, the ‘employer’ encourages you to invest your money to unlock higher payouts. You pay, hoping for a more significant return, but soon enough — they vanish with your money. The infamous pay-for-review scam is a digital trap preying on easy-money seekers. Don’t fall for the bait!
Modus OperandiEasy-money Offer: A scammer sends a WhatsApp text message offering an easy task-based job that requires you to rate or review various businesses on Google in exchange for money.
Demo Task: First, you are assigned a demo task that requires you to give a company a five-star rating/review, for which you’ll be paid a minimal amount. The scammer will assure you that you do not have to pay any registration or joining fee for the demo task.
Payment Code: You are asked to send a screenshot of the Google review, after which the scammer will send you a payment or a task code along with a link to a Telegram account of a “receptionist”.
Money Transfer: After you provide the code to the “receptionist,” you are asked to provide your UPI, bank account, and IFSC details. The promised sum for the demo task will then be transferred to you.
Telegram Task Groups: The “receptionist” will ask you to join a Telegram group, where you will be given a set of daily review tasks to complete within a given time frame. On completion of the assigned tasks, you will be paid more money.
Prepaid Task: The scammers then introduce prepaid tasks where you invest a certain amount and are promised immediate return with profit. They might claim it to be for “hyping cryptocurrencies”.
Initial Return on Investment: After an initial investment in a task, victims have reported receiving their money back with a profit. As you proceed with investment tasks, the scammers block your account, alleging unfinished task(s) and to recover your account, you will be asked to pay additional money.
No legitimate employer offers unsolicited job deals with easy-money-making schemes and quick returns on investments. has also listed the ‘rate and review for money’ task as a scam.
A genuine employer will not ask for an advance fee or payment for a task.
Scammers’ messaging is often full of grammatical and/or spelling errors and often uses awkward or unnatural phrasing in their communication. In an instance recorded by The Quint, a scammer reached out to a reporter saying:
A text message received from a scammer.
What to doPause: If an offer is too good to be true, it probably is. Unrealistic money-making deals and promises of gaining massive wealth in a short period of time should be viewed with suspicion.
Verify: Research the company or the source before signing up for tasks or accepting any offer.
Decline: Do not share any personal details, including bank or UPI details, with the unknown source.
Refuse Payment: While a quick return on your investment may seem appealing, it is a trap. Do not transfer money to any account.
Report: Report the incident as soon as possible through a government portal such as Chakshu () and the national cybercrime helpline number—1930. You can also lodge a complaint with the local police station.
(The Quint's Scamguard initiative aims to keep up with emerging digital scams to help you stay informed and vigilant. If you've been scammed or successfully thwarted one, then tell us your story. Contact us via WhatsApp at +919999008335 or email us at . You can also fill out the and help us take your story forward.)
