I joined a WhatsApp group where all I had to do was like Shopee shops to get paid. Curious, I decided to give it a shot. They paid me through PayNow after making me add someone (a receptionist) on Telegram.

There were two groups: one for tasks and another where everyone shared their earnings and asked questions. Most seemed like unknowing users like myself, or so I thought from their questions.

I was encouraged to keep doing simple tasks like Shopee shops, with occasional tasks where we paid $5 or less to order an item to a specific address (Royal Logistics SG408868, Tel: 8481 7066, which I suspect is involved in the scam).

I received payment for every $18 earned (which equates to 6 tasks), with at least 1 purchase task in the mix. Everything went smoothly, and I got paid 4 times.

Then came multiple tasks where you could choose the amount to pay, ranging from $70 to $2000++, promising 20-50% cashback. I opted for the $70 one, thinking I didn't have much to lose since I'd made money from completing tasks.

I was given a PayNow number to transfer the money. I was asked to create an account on a website and then contact another person on Telegram. I was told to complete 30 "reviews" on the website.

But when I finished the tasks, I was informed that the merchant task usually involved 2-4 tasks, so the money I paid wasn't enough to continue, and I needed to top up a minimum of $85 more. I was told I couldn't get any refund or withdraw any cash until I completed the task via the website. I also couldn't continue any tasks from the group until my current task was completed, and I had to pay to continue doing anything.

Despite my suspicions, I decided to pay another $85 since I'd already paid once. Not surprisingly, I was told I couldn't withdraw because I needed to complete another task, this time with a minimum of $100+.

Realising what was going on, I stopped and tried to warn the others in the group to be careful about being scammed. However, they all shrugged it off, even commenting that I was a "first-timer" and should just pay and continue. It was then that I realized most of the "members" were probably scammers too.