# Instagram "Like and Earn" Task Scam: What If I Already Paid? > Joined an Instagram 'like and earn' task job and paid to release earnings? How the scam works, what to do now, and where to report. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-like-and-earn-task-scam - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-29 - Topics: Instagram, Scams, Task scams - Related service: Account security: https://www.awarexone.com/services/account-security ## Short answer "Like and earn" task jobs pay small amounts first, then ask you to pay or 'top up' for bigger tasks or withdrawals. That's a scam. If you paid, stop paying, call your bank immediately, save chats and receipts, and report to police, NSRC through NFCC in Malaysia, or ScamShield in Singapore. ## Summary - Small early payouts build trust. - Paying to release earnings is the scam. - Stop all payments now. - Call your bank and report quickly. - Recovery 'agents' who contact you are often scammers. Task scams spread through Instagram DMs and ads. Here's what to do if you paid. Last checked: 29 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. ## How does the scam work? 1. A DM or ad offers money for likes or follows. 2. You're paid small amounts. 3. You're moved to Telegram or WhatsApp. 4. You're asked to pay for 'premium tasks'. 5. Withdrawals are blocked until you pay more. > Warning: **One wrong step can cost you the account.** One wrong step can cost you the account, so know what you are doing before you start. If you are not sure, do not submit an appeal yet. Ask AwareXone for a free expert review first, then act. Meta's Prohibited Commercial Practices policy says Meta prohibits content that deceives people out of money, property or personal information, including false job offers, celebrity and brand bait, investment schemes with guaranteed returns, giveaway schemes and romance schemes. It also lists links that appear to lead to legitimate sites but instead lead to scam sites. Meta says its enforcement isn't perfect and it may not detect every violation, so reporting helps. Malaysia's Semakmule portal, run by the Royal Malaysia Police Commercial Crime Investigation Department, lets you check whether a bank account number has been reported to the police before you pay. It shows the most reported scam accounts, but PDRM says it isn't responsible for losses from using the site's information, so an account that isn't listed isn't necessarily safe. ## Where do I report? | Country | Report to | | --- | --- | | Malaysia | Your bank, NSRC through NFCC's official channels, police | | Singapore | ScamShield, police | | UK | Report Fraud (official site unreadable today) | | US | ReportFraud.ftc.gov, IC3 | Related guides: [Instagram DM Scams in 2026: Fake Prizes, Votes and "Copyright" Messages. What If I Already Clicked?](https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-dm-scams-2026), [Kena Tipu Parcel Palsu di WhatsApp (Pos Laju, J&T): Apa Nak Buat Selepas Klik Pautan?](https://www.awarexone.com/research/kena-tipu-parcel-palsu-whatsapp). Malaysia's official portal says the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) is a rapid response centre set up by the government to handle online financial scam cases in real time, with Bank Negara Malaysia and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). The NSRC hotline is 997 and runs 24 hours a day. The portal says to call within 24 hours of discovering you've been scammed, so the authorities can block bank accounts and transactions to help recover funds, then contact your bank and make a police report at the nearest police station. It lists online shopping scams, investment scams, love scams and impersonation of banks or government agencies among the scams you can report. Singapore's ScamShield Helpline page says the 1799 helpline is available 24/7. You can call it to check whether something is a scam, get advice, or, if you're a victim, be connected directly to one of seven banks: DBS/POSB, UOB, OCBC, Citibank, Maybank, Standard Chartered and HSBC. ScamShield says the helpline can't make a police report for you; that has to be done online with the police or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre. ReportFraud.ftc.gov is the US federal government's website for reporting fraud, scams and bad business practices. The FTC says reports are shared with over 2,000 law enforcers and entered into Consumer Sentinel, a secure database used by authorities worldwide. It also says it can't resolve individual reports, but uses them to spot patterns, investigate and bring cases. In the UK, scams are now reported to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud as the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service on 4 December 2025. If money has left your account, call your bank first. ## What common mistakes should I avoid? - Paying a 'withdrawal fee'. - Waiting before calling the bank. - Deleting the chats. - Trusting recovery agents. Instagram's Report a post or profile page says you can report content for reasons including scam, fraud or spam, and report a profile for pretending to be someone else. Tap Options on the post or profile, then Report, and follow the steps. Instagram says reports are anonymous, except for intellectual property reports, so the account won't see who reported it. ScamShield's What to include when you file a police report page lists what to gather: the date and time of the scam, how they contacted you, the scammer's phone number, email, website links or other contact details, screenshots of messages, receipts or invoices, bank transaction records showing the loss, and any recordings. Mention reports you've already made, for example to your bank or the 1799 helpline, with their reference numbers, and the steps you've taken to stop further losses. ScamShield's I've been scammed page gives four steps: contact your bank immediately, because it can act to stop further losses; file a police report online or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre or Post, or call 999 for urgent help; tell your contacts and secure any compromised account by changing the password and turning on two-factor authentication; and for e-commerce scams, report the seller to the platform. It says you can also share information through the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or the I-Witness e-Service. ## How do I keep the account safe while I sort this out? - Never share a login code, password or backup code with anyone, including people who say they work for Meta, the police or a recovery service. - Make sure the email address and phone number on the account are ones you still control, and remove any you do not recognise. - Turn on two-factor authentication where the platform offers it, ideally with an authenticator app, and keep your backup codes somewhere offline. - Log in only from the official app or by typing the address yourself, not from links in messages, comments or ads. - Keep screenshots of every notice, email and step you take, with dates, in case you need them for a review or a report. - Make one careful attempt at each official step rather than many rushed ones, because repeated failed attempts can trigger extra checks. ## When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help Ask for help before you appeal if the account matters to your income, your business or your memories, if you have already had one appeal rejected, or if you cannot tell whether the problem is a bug, a restriction or a hack. That is where most avoidable losses happen. AwareXone has solved 1,300+ cases and works only through official platform processes. Support is available 24 hours, every day. We never ask for your password, login codes or backup codes, and we never name our clients. [Request a free case review](https://www.awarexone.com/contact?interest=account-recovery-case) or [message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/601137634679). Malaysian cases are priced in MYR; other markets are quoted in USD after review. AwareXone is independent and not affiliated with Meta, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Threads. Recovery work is best-effort and the platform makes the final decision. ### Can I get my money back? Sometimes, if the bank acts fast. Call your bank straight away, and in Malaysia call NSRC 997 within 24 hours so accounts can be blocked. ### They say pay a fee to withdraw. Should I? No. A fee to release earnings is part of the scam. Meta's policy lists false job offers and guaranteed-return schemes as fraud. ### Should I report the Instagram account? Yes. Instagram lets you report a profile or post for scam or fraud, and reports are anonymous. Keep screenshots first as evidence for your bank and police. ### Can you help? Yes. AwareXone can review what you paid and shared, and the safest next steps. ### Can AwareXone check my case before I appeal? Yes. AwareXone offers a free case review: share the exact message on your screen and what you saw in Account Status, and we'll tell you what it likely means and the safest next step before you appeal. ## Official sources - [Official: Pusat Pencegahan Jenayah Kewangan Nasional (NFCC) official website (read 29 October 2026)](https://nfcc.jpm.gov.my/) - [Official: ScamShield (Singapore) (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.scamshield.gov.sg/) - [Official: Report Fraud service goes live (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/news/report-fraud-service-goes-live/) - [Official: ReportFraud.ftc.gov (read 29 October 2026)](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/) - [Official: Prohibited Commercial Practices (read 29 October 2026)](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/fraud-scams/) - [Official: Report a post or profile on Instagram (read 29 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952) - [Official: NSRC 997 Hotline (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.malaysia.gov.my/en/topics/nsrc-997-hotline) - [Official: I've been scammed | ScamShield (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.scamshield.gov.sg/i-have-been-scammed/) - [Official: CCID Portal - Semakmule (PDRM) (read 29 October 2026)](https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/) - [Official: What to include when you file a police report | ScamShield (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.scamshield.gov.sg/important-information-for-police-report/) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.