WhatsApp Part-Time Job Scam in Malaysia: Spot and Report

A number you do not know sends a friendly WhatsApp message. The job sounds too easy: like a few videos, follow some shops or rate products, and get paid the same day. Maybe it already paid you a small amount, and now a "mentor" in a Telegram group says you need to top up before you can take bigger tasks or cash out.

The short answer: this is a task scam, sometimes searched as a "like and earn" or "kerja sambilan" scam. Money only ever flows from you to them. Stop paying, stop replying, keep your evidence, and if any money has moved, call your bank or 997 now. Nobody genuine, including us, will ever ask for your password, PIN or a login code.

This guide shows how the scam unfolds, the red flags to look for, how to report and block the number on WhatsApp, and the Malaysian steps to take if you already paid or shared details.

Last checked: 29 September 2026.

#Is a WhatsApp Part-Time Job Offer to Like Videos a Scam?

Yes, in practice. A job that pays you to like videos, follow accounts or rate products, offered by an unknown WhatsApp number, is the standard opening of a task scam. WhatsApp's own page on suspicious messages lists messages about a job as a warning sign and describes fake job offers as a common scam. The Director of Bukit Aman's Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) warned in a statement reported by The Vibes that easy work such as "like & follow" with unrealistically high pay is a main warning sign, and that genuine employers do not ask for money before you start. If you have not paid, block and report the number. If you have, go straight to the section on what to do in the next hour.

#How the Like-and-Earn Scam Unfolds, Stage by Stage

The details change, but the shape is the same. The US Federal Trade Commission's alert on task scams describes small payouts to build trust, fake earnings that grow on screen, then a demand for your own money before you can continue or withdraw. The CCID statement describes the same move in Malaysia.

#Red Flags in the First WhatsApp Message

You can usually spot the scam before you reply. WhatsApp's help centre lists the signs of a suspicious sender, and most of them fit a job scam exactly:

• The message is about a job, and you never applied for one.
• It asks you to tap a link, join a group or download an app.
• It asks for your bank account number, IC details or a password.
• It asks for money, even framed as a deposit, registration or training fee.
• The sender chats warmly to build trust before asking for anything personal.
• The pay is far higher than the work would ever earn.

When someone not in your contacts messages you for the first time, WhatsApp says it shows groups you have in common and the country where the number is registered. A foreign number offering Malaysian part-time work deserves a second look.

In Malaysia these offers often use words such as "kerja sambilan", "like & follow" or, in Chinese, 兼职 and 点赞赚钱. The warning is the combination: an unknown number, easy work and high pay.

#What a Genuine Employer Does Differently

A real job pays you; it never asks you to pay first. In the same statement, the CCID director said legitimate employers do not ask for registration, training, deposit or equipment money before you begin, and that job offers made only through WhatsApp or Telegram by unknown numbers, without an official channel such as a company email or a job portal, are suspicious.

If you want part-time work, the CCID advice is to look through recognised platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, JobStreet or a company's own careers page.

#How to Report and Block the Number on WhatsApp

Report first, then block. Take screenshots of the chat, the number and any payment requests before you do anything else, because you may need them for your bank and the police. WhatsApp's page on how to block and report someone gives these steps on Android; the menus look slightly different on iPhone and in newer app versions.

1. Open the chat with the sender.
2. Tap the three dots (More options), then "More", then "Report".
3. Tick the box to block the sender as well, then tap "Report".
4. For a group, open it, tap the group name, then "Report group". Tick the box to exit the group if you want to leave at the same time.

WhatsApp's page about reporting and blocking says a report sends it up to five of the last messages from that sender, and the sender is not told. It also says a report does not always lead to a ban, and that the in-app report is the only way to report someone. Contacting WhatsApp another way will not speed up the review.

#Stop Strangers Adding You to Groups

By default, anyone with your number can add you to a WhatsApp group. WhatsApp's page on group privacy settings explains how to change that:

1. Open WhatsApp "Settings", then "Privacy", then "Groups".
2. Choose "My Contacts", or "My Contacts Except..." to exclude specific people.
3. A stranger who tries to add you will then have to send a private invite, which you can ignore.

WhatsApp notes that this setting does not stop someone sending you a group invite link; joining through a link is always your choice. Its privacy settings page also points to an advanced option to block high volumes of messages from unknown accounts, and to silencing unknown callers. WhatsApp's scam protection steps add one more: turn on two-step verification so a stolen code alone cannot move your account to another phone.

#Already Paid? What to Do in the Next Hour in Malaysia

Deal with the money first. The NSRC's information and FAQ page says to contact your bank's 24-hour hotline or the NSRC on 997 as soon as you realise you have been defrauded, then make a police report at the nearest station. It asks victims to call the bank or 997 first so action starts quickly, and to make the police report within 24 hours.

1. Stop every payment. Do not send one more transfer to "release" your balance.
2. Call your bank's hotline, printed on the back of your card or on the bank's website, or call 997. If you cannot get through to 997, the NSRC says to call your bank directly.
3. Make a police report at the nearest police station.
4. Keep following up with the investigating officer named on your report. The NSRC says 997 is not a line for case follow-up.

The NSRC is honest about the limits: quick action can reduce your losses, but there is no guarantee you will get the money back. Even if more than 24 hours have passed, it still asks you to report to your bank.

#Evidence Checklist for Your Bank and Police Report

The NSRC lists what to have ready when you report. Gather it while you wait on the line:

• A short timeline: when the first message came, when you joined any group, when you paid.
• Your own details: name, phone number, IC number and bank account number.
• The scammer's details: names used, WhatsApp and Telegram numbers, group names, dates and times.
• Every transaction: the receiving bank account numbers, amounts, times and receipts.
• Website addresses or app names they sent you.
• Screenshots of the WhatsApp and Telegram chats, including the payment requests.

#Shared Your Bank Account, IC or a Code?

Some task scams ask for more than money. Each kind of detail needs a different step.

• Your online banking login, PIN or ATM card: call your bank now and ask it to secure the account. Bank Negara Malaysia's mule account page warns that a too-good-to-be-true job asking for these details is a known route into mule accounts.
• A request to receive money and pass it on: refuse. Bank Negara Malaysia's money mule guidance says people who let syndicates move money through their accounts can be charged and have their accounts blocked.
• A WhatsApp six-digit code: someone may be taking over your account. Follow our guide to a WhatsApp account hacked through a verification code.
• An app you installed from their link: uninstall it, change passwords from another device, and read what to do after clicking a phishing link.

A fake job website or malicious app can also be reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia's Cyber999 incident response centre, which takes reports by online form, email, phone or its mobile app.

#Check Numbers and Accounts on Semak Mule Before You Pay

PDRM runs Semak Mule, a free portal where you can check a bank account number, phone number or company name against scam reports before you transfer money. In a PDRM statement, the CCID director urged the public to use it before any online financial transaction. Bank Negara Malaysia also points people to the Semak Mule mobile app.

A clean result does not prove an account is safe, because scammers can use fresh accounts nobody has reported yet. A flagged result means stop.

#Watch for the Second Scam: Fund Recovery Offers

People who have lost money are targeted again. A stranger, "lawyer" or "recovery agent" contacts you and promises to get the money back for an upfront fee.

Our explainer on fake Meta support messages shows how the same kind of "helper" approaches people after an account problem.

#Mistakes That Make Losses Bigger

• Paying one more fee because the balance looks close to withdrawable.
• Deleting the chat out of embarrassment, and with it the evidence.
• Waiting until the next day to call the bank.
• Arguing with the scammers or trying to trace them yourself.
• Letting the "mentor" or a new friend use your bank account for their transfers.
• Paying a recovery agent who contacted you first.

#When a Case Review Makes Sense

Recovering lost money is a matter for your bank, the NSRC and the police, and you can do everything above alone. Outside help can add something on the account side: a WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook account the scammers took over, or login codes you shared that now give someone else access. SocialSafe by AwareXone, AwareXone's recovery service, looks at the case first and tells you plainly whether the official routes are still open; sometimes you already have what you need. You can read about our account security service, and our Trust Center sets out what we will never ask you for, starting with passwords and codes. WhatsApp and the other platforms make the final decision on any account.

#Frequently Asked Questions