Fake Product Review and Rating Task Scam
You are paid a few rupees to rate products, then asked to deposit money for bigger tasks that never pay out. Learn how the review task works.
A message offers easy work: rate products or write reviews and earn Rs 50 to Rs 150 per task from home. The first tasks pay out, usually a small sum, and you feel the offer is real. Then you are moved to 'premium tasks' that require a deposit, with a promise of a commission. Each deposit is followed by another demand to unlock the balance, and your earnings stay trapped on a screen.
How the scam works
The set-up is a message from an unknown number, sometimes claiming to be an e-commerce partner. It says it needs ratings for products to improve their rankings. You are added to a chat group where other members post screenshots of earnings. Most of those members are bots or the scammer's own accounts. The first payments are small and real because they cost the scammer very little.
The pressure builds through a fake dashboard. You see a bonus balance growing and are told that a 'merchant task' needs a prepaid amount that will be returned with commission after completion. The deposit starts at Rs 1,000, then the task changes and a larger sum is required to 'clear' a mistake. Group members cheer when one person 'withdraws' and warn that quitting midway loses everything.
The payoff is every deposit you make, which can reach many thousands of rupees. The balance on the dashboard is only a number, and a withdrawal fee or tax is always demanded before release. When you stop paying, the group removes you. The scammer may also keep your bank and ID details that you shared for 'verification'.
An example of what you may see
Example message (invented): 'Hello, we are hiring part-time raters. Rate 20 products and earn Rs 3,000 today. No experience needed. Join our group.' Later: 'Task 4 is a merchant order of Rs 5,000. Pay first, and you receive Rs 6,500 back within 10 minutes. Skipping will cancel your earnings.' In the group a member posts, 'I withdrew Rs 8,000 today, thanks team.' When you ask for your balance, you are told that a Rs 2,000 tax must be paid first to release the amount.
This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.
Red flags
- The work requires only likes, ratings or reviews, yet promises high daily pay.
- A small first payout is used to build trust before a larger deposit is asked.
- You are asked to deposit money to unlock tasks or release your earnings.
- The group is full of screenshots of payments but no one can be reached directly.
- There is a withdrawal fee, tax or 'wrong task' penalty before you can take your money.
- The recruiter does not name a real, checkable company or give a proper contract.
What to do right now
- Stop the task and do not send any further deposit, however close you are to the withdrawal.
- Treat any job that asks you to pay in order to earn as a scam.
- Leave the group and do not share Aadhaar, PAN or bank details.
- Report the number in Sanchar Saathi under the Chakshu facility.
- Warn family and friends who are looking for work-from-home jobs.
If you already paid or shared a code
- Call 1930 straight away and report at cybercrime.gov.in with each payment reference.
- Tell your bank through its official app so it can note the receiving accounts.
- Save the chat, screenshots of the dashboard and payment receipts.
- Do not pay the 'tax' or 'fee' to withdraw; it only leads to another demand.
National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Report online at cybercrime.gov.in. Do it fast: the sooner your bank is told, the better the chance that money can be held.
Where this scam shows up
Read how it looks on each channel:
How Safeavio helps
Paste the job message into Scam check in Safeavio Sentinel and it shows the reasons it looks risky, such as a promise of easy money and a request to pay first. Link check can look at the app or dashboard link before you open it. Money Shield reminds you to verify before sending any deposit. Safeavio cannot tell you who runs the group and cannot recover money sent as deposits.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions people ask
Why do they pay me at the start?
The first small payouts cost the scammer very little and make the offer feel real. They are the bait for the later deposits, which are much larger and never returned. Every upfront rupee you pay is lost, and the earnings on screen never reach your bank account.
Is any review-for-money job genuine?
A genuine employer pays you without asking for any deposit. If you must pay to unlock tasks, withdraw earnings or fix an error, it is a scam pattern. Real jobs come with a written offer, a named employer and payment after work, never before.
Can I get my deposit back?
Report quickly to 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in and tell your bank. Early reports give the best chance of holding funds, but nobody can promise a refund. Keep the evidence, since banks and the cyber cell can use screenshots and receipts to trace accounts.