Digital FraudObservatoryContribute
Collection/Jobs/SA-001
Advance-fee requestEducational reconstruction

Your earnings are ready. First, send money.

A supposed job shows earnings, then demands a deposit before you can withdraw them.

FICTIONAL RECONSTRUCTION / SUPPOSED TASK SUPPORT
Great work! Your task balance is now €184. To withdraw it, top up your account with €60 to complete the final task set. The deposit will be returned with your earnings.
Illustrative wording and amounts. No actual person or business is depicted.
What the example presents
€184 ready to withdraw
What to examine
€60 deposit requested first

Audience / at-risk group

Job seekers and online task workers

What you can notice

  • An apparent job offers commissions for simple online tasks.
  • A displayed balance makes the earnings feel real.
  • A separate payment is demanded before those supposed earnings can be withdrawn.

The takeaway

A number on a dashboard does not prove that withdrawable earnings exist. Do not send money to release supposed wages.

What the source reports

FTC guidance describes task scams in which an online platform displays apparent commissions, then asks the person to deposit their own money. The message here is an educational reconstruction of that pattern.

What this evidence cannot tell us

The wording and amounts are invented. This is not a victim’s message or an accusation against a named business. A legitimate payout minimum is different from asking someone to send a separate deposit. AI involvement is not established.

Suggest a correction

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