Task Scams via Bank Transfer
How task scam operators use bank transfer payments to establish legitimacy before pivoting to cryptocurrency deposit demands from remote workers.
Part of: Task Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Task scams frequently begin with bank transfer payments — small commission payments in local currency — to establish the authenticity of the operation before introducing cryptocurrency deposit requirements. This phased approach is deliberately designed to exploit the comfort and legitimacy signal that a bank transfer conveys to someone unfamiliar with the scam pattern.
Once a victim has received two or three legitimate-seeming bank transfer commissions, the psychological investment in the 'job' makes it much harder for them to recognise the subsequent deposit request as fraudulent.
How this scam works on Bank Transfer
A task scam recruiter assigns initial low-value tasks paying small commissions via bank transfer — typically enough to cover modest daily expenses. The victim's bank statement shows genuine incoming transfers from what appears to be a legitimate business entity.
After several weeks of credible bank transfer payments, the victim is offered a premium task bundle with significantly higher commissions. This bundle requires a deposit — initially small and payable by bank transfer, then escalating to amounts payable only via cryptocurrency to 'unlock' higher tiers.
When the victim attempts to withdraw accumulated earnings, the platform requires the full cryptocurrency deposit to be made before any withdrawal is processed. The initial bank transfers were a calculated investment by the scammer to maximise eventual return.
Common red flags
- Remote job that pays initial commissions by bank transfer then requires a deposit to continue
- Escalating deposit requirements with each completed task level
- Transition from bank transfer to cryptocurrency payments framed as a 'platform upgrade'
- Withdrawal of accumulated earnings blocked until a deposit is made first
- Job group chat where other apparent workers confirm completing deposits and earning higher returns
How to protect yourself
- Initial legitimate payments do not validate a job — the deposit request is the scam
- No legitimate employer anywhere requires workers to deposit money to receive assignments
- Report any job that transitions to deposit requirements to your national fraud service immediately
- Do not make any cryptocurrency purchase for a job offer, regardless of prior payments received
- Withdraw from any remote job that introduces deposit requirements at any stage
How to report it
- Report to your national fraud service — Action Fraud (UK), FTC (US), or equivalent
- Report to the recruiting platform where the job was offered
- Contact your bank if bank transfer payments were associated with the operation
Frequently asked questions
Why do task scammers make real bank transfer payments initially?
The initial legitimate payments are an investment in victim credibility. Each payment makes the victim more convinced the operation is genuine and more psychologically committed to continuing. When the deposit request eventually arrives, the victim has 'proof' the job is real and is more likely to comply. This is a deliberate grooming strategy.