Scams, identity theft and cybercrimes threaten everyone.
Every year people lose billions of dollars to scams, identity theft and cybercrime. No one is immune to these dangers. Young and old alike are victims and if you think you are too smart to become a victim, you are wrong. According to the National Association of Securities Dealers wealthy, financially literate and astute people are actually more likely to become victims of financial scams.
The key to protecting yourself from scams cybercrime and identity theft is education and that is where Scamicide.com comes in. Here at Scamicide.com you will learn how to recognize scams, cyber security threats and risks of identity theft as well as how to avoid them. Here at Scamicide.com we also alert you each and every day to the latest developments in scams, cyber security and identity theft and tell you what you need to do to protect yourself. It is a dangerous world out there, but Scamicide.com can help you make it safer.
Scam of the day – February 10, 2026 – Task Scams: How Fake Online ‘Product Boosting’ Jobs Trick You Into Losing Money
Task scams are scams in which you are solicited to do simple tasks such as liking videos or rating product images online and get paid for your efforts. Too bad it is a scam. The scammers promise that you will earn a commission on each click. The scam starts with a text message offering online work by “product boosting” or doing “optimization tasks” in an app or online platform the scammer provides. As you complete each task, the app will appear to show that you have accumulated commission earnings, but it is all a lie. After a while the scammer then asks you to deposit your own money, generally by way of cryptocurrency to complete your next set of tasks and to get your commission earnings out of the app. However, there are no earnings and once you make the payment, it is gone forever.
TIPS
A good place to start to avoiding this scam is to recognize that generic texts or WhatsApp messages offering jobs of any kind are scams. Real employers don’t seek workers that way. In addition, no one is offering to pay ordinary people to rate or like things online. The FTC requires transparency when people are paid to promote products, leave reviews, or engage in other forms of online endorsement. If you are being paid (or receiving free products) to rate or “like” something, you must disclose this connection. This is typically done with statements like “Sponsored” or “Ad” in the post or review. Most online platforms (like Amazon, Yelp, and Google) have strict rules against “paid reviews” that are not disclosed as sponsored content.
If a company asks you to leave fake reviews (pretending to be an ordinary customer) or manipulate public perception without disclosing your role, this could be considered fraud or “astroturfing.” Some states (like New York) have taken action against companies and individuals engaged in this practice.
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