A Philadelphia woman looking to make a little extra money through a part-time online job ended up losing nearly $200 after falling for what the Federal Trade Commission calls a “task scam.”
Veronica Silva Casanova was searching for a simple side hustle when she came across a social media ad offering money to assemble crafts for a company called Handmade.
“Something to make a little extra money, I guess,” Silva Casanova said.
The opportunity seemed simple enough. But after connecting with a so-called recruiter, the conversation moved to a third-party messaging app and the job description suddenly changed.
Instead of assembling crafts, Silva Casanova said she was instructed to visit Handmade’s website, find products, “like” them and send screenshots to the recruiter.
Then came a request for what the recruiter called a “prepaid task.”
Silva Casanova said she was told she needed to send money to the company before she could get paid and she complied.
“I lost a little less than $200, which might not be a lot for a lot of people but when you have a restricted income, it can be a lot,” Silva Casanova said.
She eventually became suspicious when the requests for money continued.
“When they were pressuring me for money, or more, more, more money,” Silva Casanova said when asked when she began to suspect it was a scam.
After Silva Casanova contacted NBC10 Responds, we looked into the job offer and discovered that while Handmade is a legitimate company, the advertised jobs were not.
On its website, Handmade.com warns that scammers are using its name to advertise fraudulent product assembly and paid task jobs, including offers made through third-party messaging apps.
The scheme matches what the Federal Trade Commission calls a “task scam,” in which scammers offer seemingly simple online work but eventually require people to deposit their own money to receive payment.
One of the biggest warning signs of a task scam is being asked to pay money before receiving earnings.
If you come across an online job offer that seems too good to be true, don’t rely solely on links or information provided by a recruiter.
Instead, visit the company’s official website directly to verify that the job actually exists.
For Silva Casanova, speaking out about her experience is a way to help others avoid losing money to a similar scheme.
“I understand that I’m not gonna get anything out of this in return, but at least I can make people aware because it seems very simple,” she said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
