TikTok Scams: Job Offers, Finfluencer Investments and How to Spot Them

TikTok has over 30 million regular users in the UK, according to TikTok’s official data, making it one of the country’s most popular social media platforms.  

However, like many popular platforms, it also presents opportunities for fraudsters to recruit unsuspecting victims into fraudulent schemes. 

In this article, we will cover the main types, how they work, how to spot them, and how to get your money back if you have lost money.

Why TikTok is a Target For Scammers

Like many social media platforms, TikTok has an algorithm that brings relevant content you have previously engaged with into your feed.

So if you have engaged with, or even just watched, a video related to an investment, job, or anything similar, then you are more likely to see related content.

Scammers know this, and common scams often involve impersonations of legitimate schemes, only for them to later be revealed as fraudulent.

In addition, if you have already been looking at similar content, legitimate or not, the scammers know you already have a registered interest and are therefore more likely to engage with them.

It is also easier to spread content when it becomes popular, so even if you weren’t searching for an investment or job, you may still be shown that scheme.

Types of TikTok Scams

Whilst fraudsters can advertise many different scams, there are some common types:

Job/task scams

Job offers are promoted as easy, remote work in the form of completing tasks. Tasks require depositing money to earn larger commissions; however, once the set of tasks is completed, no money is released, and further fees are requested. 

Investment ‘Finfluencer’ scams

Creators or ‘Finfluencers’ promote unregulated trading schemes, usually directing victims to join trading groups through WhatsApp or Telegram. The Financial Conduct Authority recently updated a warning list of common ‘Finfluencers’ who were advertising unregulated trading schemes.  

Fake giveaways and impersonation accounts

Clone celebrity or brand accounts that announce a giveaway requiring an upfront fee, shipping payment, or personal details to claim.

Romance scams

Fake accounts that message individuals through DMs, escalating to a private messaging platform like WhatsApp before multiple requests for money are made.

Purchase scams

Cloning the verified TikTok Shop, fraudsters would instead advertise a fake product through a link that directs to their website, where you lose the protections that TikTok Shop provides.

Crypto pump and dump schemes

Creators who hype a crypto coin ahead of a coordinated sell-off, causing victims to buy at a higher value, then the price drops suddenly when the creators sell.

Deep Dive into Job/task Scams

One of the most common scams seen on TikTok is the job/task scam. Here’s a deep dive into how they actually work:

• An advertisement or out-of-the-blue DM for a remote, work-from-home job where you can earn £400 a day appears through your feed or messages.  
• The job is described as usually requiring minimal effort, commonly liking, sharing, or commenting on videos, explained as ‘optimising’ engagement for clients they are working with.  
• Conversations are moved to private messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram, and victims are asked to log in to the ‘working’ platform provided.  
• Victims are asked to complete a set of tasks, usually 20 or 30 within the platform, and are provided with an initial small amount of money to build trust.  
• Further payments are requested to complete the tasks, framed as needed to earn higher commissions, which they can see through the platform.  
• Payments are sometimes requested through cryptocurrency or PayPal.  
• Once the set of tasks is complete, the victim is denied the withdrawal of their earnings and is asked to pay fees in order to withdraw.

Job task scam victims are becoming increasingly prominent among young adults, more specifically graduates who are looking for work or a ‘side hustle’ to earn extra money.  

Monzo reported that 10,000 of its customers were victims of job scams in 2025, and Lloyds Banking Group reported a 237% rise in job task scams in the second half of 2025, which shows how many people are being targeted. 

Red flags of TikTok Job scams 

• Out of the blue contact via DM
• Contact shifts from TikTok to WhatsApp or Telegram
• Pay is high for minimal effort (liking or sharing videos)
• Requests to earn ‘commision’ or ‘unlock earnings’ that increase in value
• Being asked to pay in cryptocurrency or PayPal

Deep Dive ‘Finfluencer’ Investment Scams

Another common scam, that is prominent within social media, is investment scams promoted by creators classed as ‘finfluencers’. A finfluencer is short for financial influencer, and they usually advertise on short-form media, such as YouTube or TikTok, appealing to the younger generation.

The rise in financial promotions from influencers called for seventeen regulators worldwide, led by the Financial Conduct Authority, to crack down on illegal Finfluencers putting consumers' money at risk.

The FCA’s investigation found the following:

• Made 120 account takedown requests to social media platforms hosting illegal Finfluencer content
• Within these accounts, the FCA identified 1,267 illegal financial adverts, which reached a minimum of 2,338,372 UK accounts
• 66% of these adverts were from firms or individuals already on the FCA's Warning List

The findings show the scale of the problem, which is likely to be larger than the FCA’s investigation. Influencers already have a global audience, and they have the platform to promote unregulated investments to unsuspecting consumers. 

The fact that 66% of these adverts were from firms or individuals already on the FCA warning list also demonstrates the ease with which they can advertise on social media platforms without proper checks.

How to spot an unauthorised investment:

• Not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) 
• Added to the FCA warning list (they are not always added to the list)
• Message you privately and move to WhatsApp or Telegram 
• Offering high and guaranteed returns
• Promoted as ‘limited risk’ and ‘high earning’ opportunities
• Limited information about what the investment actually is
• Pressure to act fast without doing your due diligence 
• Screenshots of profits, without a verifiable source
• Paid promotions with no ad disclosure 

It is important to do your own due diligence and not just rely on the word, or follower count of someone promoting an investment. 

What to do if you’ve been scammed on Tik Tok (or social media)

• Stop all contact immediately 
• Do not send any further payments
• Be wary of recovery scams
• Report it to your bank
• Report it to Report Fraud
• Report it to the platform where the scam happened
• Gather and preserve all evidence
• Explore recovery options yourself, or through an FCA-regulated claims management company such as Refundee

How Refundee Can Help

If you have already lost money and you sent the money from a UK bank account, then Refundee may be able to help you recover your funds.

We are regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and we have recovered over £140 million for our clients so far, with a large proportion coming from clients who discovered the scam on social media.

We work on a no-win, no-fee basis, and our fees are fair and transparent.

This is a process you can do yourself for free; we have written a guide here on how you can do this.

Conclusion

Social media platforms, such as TikTok, have a substantial reach, and this presents opportunities for scammers to recruit unsuspecting individuals into their schemes.

It is important to recognise the warning signs and always do your due diligence before sending any money.

If you have already lost money, do not panic; you have options to recover.

Start your free eligibility check

More about Refundee 

Here are the technical bits: 

Refundee Ltd is a claims management company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activity FRN: 937096. 

Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office; registration number: A8986071. 

Registered office address: Refundee, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE. 

Registered as a company in England & Wales; number: 12855931.