Warning to parents and young people – social media job scam

We’re urging parents and young people to be on their guard if they’re come across “jobs” offering hundreds of pounds for liking or sharing social media posts. 

In the past six months we have received around 40 reports of “job” scams linked to Tik Tok and Telegram offering “jobs” to unsuspecting users – the youngest was aged 15. 

The victims report receiving a job opportunity (often via Telegram) from someone claiming to be from TikTok’s HR team, offering hundreds of pounds per day for liking or sharing TikTok posts, directing them to a WhatsApp number or a suspicious link. 

Once they comply with the request, they are later told that they need to send money with the promise of receiving a refund. 

The victims send the money but do not receive anything in return. The victim then receives a payment from (unknowingly) a further victim of the same scam and is told to send it to another account. This is indicative of money mule activity, and may be considered a criminal offence, and as a result their bank becomes suspicious and closes their account. These scams can also lead to requests for personal details, or require victims to buy equipment, which is another tactic to defraud them.  

Detective Inspector Janine Mitchell of North Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Not only do the victims of these scams lose money, but in some cases they also have to deal with the closure of their bank account which can compound the distress of finding out they’ve been scammed. If you come across an offer like this, please ignore it, don’t click on any links they provide and definitely don’t send them any money. 

“Social media is great when it is used legitimately but unfortunately it is also used by criminals who target unsuspecting and trusting people. Please always be on your guard.” 

If you think you have been a victim of this scam, you can report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via their website or North Yorkshire Police on 101 or via our website

Visit the Action Fraud website