The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a warning to the public, especially job hunters, to watch out against job offer scams that aim to defraud the public through the use of a “tasking and recharging scheme.”

The warning was issued after the SEC's Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) received an alarming number of reports regarding job offer scams.

Under the scheme, perpetrators of job offer scams would contact their victims through messaging platforms, such as Viber, Messenger, and Telegram, offering them trivial tasks like ordering or purchasing items, sorting orders, and clicking tasks, among others, for a supposed e-commerce platform.

However, the victims are required to deposit minimal amounts to access a dubious e-commerce platform that assigns paid tasks. Subsequently, the victims are enticed to deposit more money in escalating amounts to get higher-paying tasks.

Small deposits are initially paid the promised returns to dupe or fool the public into believing in the legitimacy and pour more money into the platform.

For example, an individual will be asked to deposit ₱500 for paid tasks worth ₱1,000, as part of the initial offer.

After completing the job and receiving payment, the promoter will offer the victim higher-paying tasks amounting to ₱10,000, but he must deposit ₱5,000 to access the new workload.

The cycle continues until the deposited amount balloons. Amounts vary depending on the scam's mechanics.

Once the investors are hooked and have deposited big amounts, the platforms and their operators require victims to deposit more money in order to withdraw their supposed earnings for various reasons and eventually disappear.

The EIPD urges the public not to engage with job offer scams and to be vigilant when receiving job offers involving these scams, and to immediately file reports or lodge their complaints via email with the EIPD at [email protected].