Part-time job: like videos, earn money — real or scam?
Short answer
It is a scam the moment you are asked to pay. The Ministry of Home Affairs describes exactly this: an ad or message offers work from home, an agent on WhatsApp or Telegram gives you tasks such as liking videos, subscribing or rating places on Maps, pays a small commission, then asks you to invest more — and the larger deposit is frozen. Stop paying, keep the chats, and call 1930 or report on cybercrime.gov.in.
Part-time 'task' jobs: like videos, rate places, earn commission
An online ad or a WhatsApp or Telegram message offers easy part-time work from home - liking and subscribing to videos or rating places on maps. A small commission is paid at first; then you are asked to invest more for bigger returns, and once you deposit a larger sum it is frozen.
⚙️ How it works
The Home Ministry's cyber-crime centre (I4C) set out the steps when it had over 100 such websites blocked in December 2023. Targeted ads on Google and Meta use phrases like 'Ghar baithe job' in several languages, aimed mostly at retired employees, women and unemployed young people. Clicking the ad starts a WhatsApp or Telegram chat with an agent who gives you tasks such as liking and subscribing to videos or rating places on maps. You get some commission at first and are then asked to invest more to earn more for each task. Once you trust them and deposit a larger sum, the deposit is frozen. I4C found the sites were run by overseas operators using rented (mule) bank accounts, with the money taken out of India through card networks, crypto, overseas ATM withdrawals and foreign fintech companies.
🚩 Red flags
A work-from-home offer you never applied for, reached through an ad or an unknown WhatsApp or Telegram contact
Tasks like liking or subscribing to videos or rating places, with a small commission paid at first
Being asked to invest or deposit money to unlock bigger tasks or a higher commission
Earnings shown on a website dashboard that will not let you withdraw, or a deposit that is suddenly frozen
The receiver's name shown in your UPI app has nothing to do with the 'company'
✅ What to do
No real employer pays you to like videos or asks you to deposit money to work.
Stop paying the moment a deposit is requested - there is no 'final task'.
Never pay an unknown WhatsApp or Telegram contact without checking, and look at the receiver's name in your UPI app before you pay.
Screenshot the chats and report on cybercrime.gov.in or 1930; report the group inside Telegram/WhatsApp too.
Warn family members who are looking for work from home.
In December 2023 the Ministry of Home Affairs said its Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) had identified more than 100 websites running organised investment and task-based part-time job frauds, and the Ministry of Electronics and IT blocked them under the IT Act, 2000. The Ministry described the steps: targeted ads on Google and Meta with words like “Ghar baithe job” in many languages; an agent on WhatsApp or Telegram who sets tasks such as video likes, subscribing or Maps ratings; a small commission at first and a request to invest more for higher returns; and then, once a larger sum is deposited, the money is frozen. It said the targets are mostly retired employees, women and unemployed young people looking for part-time work, that the sites were run by overseas actors using mule or rented bank accounts, and that the money was moved out of India through card networks, crypto, overseas ATM withdrawals and foreign fintech firms.
🚩 Red flags
A job offer on WhatsApp, Telegram or an ad that you never applied for — “work from home, earn daily”
Being paid to like YouTube videos, subscribe to channels or rate hotels and places on Maps
A small first payout, then a “prepaid” task that needs your money first
Payments to a UPI ID or account in a random person’s name, not a company
A balance on a website that grows but cannot be withdrawn until you pay again
✅ What to do
Do not pay to unlock earnings, taxes or a “final task”: no real employer asks you to deposit money to work.
Check the receiver’s name in your UPI app before any payment. The Ministry says a random person’s name may be a mule account.
Report the phone numbers and social media handles on cybercrime.gov.in; money lost — call 1930 at once.
No money lost? Report the number on Chakshu (Sanchar Saathi, Department of Telecommunications) within 30 days.
Why you should never accept money from them either
The first commission does not come from a company: the Ministry says these schemes run through mule and rented accounts. It warns citizens not to transact with unknown accounts, because they can be involved in money laundering and even terror financing, and can lead to accounts being blocked by the police and other legal action. If you were offered money for “lending” your bank account or UPI ID, say no — that is the same network.
Already paid, shared a code or your screen? Call your bank on the number printed on your card and block the card.
Then call 1930, India’s national cyber-fraud helpline, and report it on
cybercrime.gov.in the same day.
Questions people ask about this message
Is the YouTube like and subscribe job real?
No. The Ministry of Home Affairs names video likes, subscribing and Maps ratings as the tasks used in this fraud. The small payment at the start is bait; the scam is the deposit asked for later.
They paid me a small amount first. Does that make it genuine?
No. The Ministry says the victim is first given some commission to gain trust and then asked to invest more. Paying a little first is how the scam works.
They say I must pay to withdraw my earnings. Should I?
No. Stop all payments. Any fee, tax or "final task" before a withdrawal is part of the fraud, and the Ministry says larger deposits are frozen. Report it on cybercrime.gov.in.
I already paid. What now?
Call 1930 at once, then your bank on the number printed on your card, and file the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the phone numbers, Telegram or WhatsApp handles, screenshots and transaction IDs.
Can my bank account get frozen?
It can. The Ministry warns that transactions with unknown accounts can be linked to money laundering and lead to accounts being blocked by the police. Never accept money into your account from these groups or let anyone use your account.
Can Aegix stop these messages?
Aegix lists the scams spreading in India in its Scam Radar, so you and your family know this one before it arrives, and its Scam Checker reads any job message or link you paste in. The free web scam checker works in your browser too.
Let the phone warn you next time
Aegix is an Android security app from CryoSim, free to install, no account. Its Scam Radar lists the scams spreading in India,
filtered to your state; Scam Checker reads any message or link you paste in; and scam-SMS warnings (Aegix Premium, first month
free for new users) flag a scam-looking SMS as it arrives. Aegix flags the message; it does not delete it.
