Task Scams in Ghana
Task scams targeting Ghanaian workers offer easy online micro-jobs but ultimately trick participants into making deposits they can never recover.
Part of: Task Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Task scams — sometimes called 'app review jobs' or 'like-and-earn' schemes — have spread rapidly across West Africa. Victims are recruited via WhatsApp or Telegram with promises of earning between GH₵50 and GH₵500 per day for simple online tasks such as rating products, clicking advertisements, or liking social media posts.
The scheme is designed to appear legitimate for the first few days, with small payments made reliably. This builds trust before the platform demands a deposit to 'unlock' a high-value task batch — money that is never returned.
How this scam works on Ghana
Victims are added to a WhatsApp or Telegram group that acts as a fake 'work team'. A supervisor assigns daily tasks and group members post screenshots of their supposed earnings to create social proof. After completing a few genuine micro-tasks for which small sums are paid, the participant is invited to a 'special assignment' that requires purchasing a product or topping up an account balance.
Subsequent tasks require progressively larger deposits. When the victim tries to withdraw their accumulated balance, the platform demands a final 'tax clearance' or 'insurance fee'. After that payment, withdrawal is still blocked and new fees appear. Eventually the group goes silent and the platform becomes inaccessible.
In Ghana, these schemes often recruit unemployed graduates and are promoted as legitimate remote-work opportunities, making them especially effective.
Common red flags
- Job offer arriving via unsolicited WhatsApp or Telegram message
- Tasks require no verifiable skills and promise unusually high pay per hour
- Early tasks pay reliably but later tasks require a deposit to participate
- Platform balance grows but withdrawals are repeatedly blocked by new fee requirements
- Group chat populated with accounts all posting suspiciously similar success stories
- Recruiter becomes evasive or aggressive when you question fees
How to protect yourself
- Do not pay any fee to earn money — legitimate employers pay you, not the reverse
- Research the platform name plus 'scam' on Google before accepting any tasks
- Leave any WhatsApp or Telegram group that pressures you to deposit money
- Warn friends and family if you spot recruitment messages spreading in shared groups
- Report the account number or mobile money number used to collect fees to the Ghana Police
How to report it
- Report to the Ghana Police Service Cybercrime Unit with screenshots of the group and payment records
- Report the mobile money number to your network provider (MTN, Vodafone, AirtelTigo) for investigation
- Warn others by posting in consumer-protection Facebook groups
Frequently asked questions
Is there any legitimate way to earn money doing small online tasks?
Yes — established international platforms exist for genuine micro-tasks, surveys, and app testing, and none of them require you to pay a deposit to access work or release your earnings. Any platform that asks you to pay before you can withdraw money you've supposedly earned is not legitimate.
Everyone in my task group is posting screenshots of big payouts — doesn't that prove the platform is real?
Not necessarily. Groups are often seeded with fake or coordinated screenshots from accounts controlled by the operator to create social proof and pressure new members to deposit. Treat group testimonials with the same scepticism as the offer itself.
Can I report the mobile money number used by the scammer?
Yes. Report the number to your mobile network operator and to the Ghana Police Cybercrime Unit. Operators can freeze accounts pending investigation.