$500 a Day for 90 Minutes? The Scam Targeting Real Estate Agents in a Slow Market
When I tell agents to watch out for job scams, I’m not speaking in the abstract. I got one myself — and the market is slow enough right now that some people will read it and think, “Hmm… maybe.”
Here’s the exact message that landed in my inbox recently:
“Hi, I’m a recruiter at Kelly Services (US), my name is Adina. Your background and resume have been recommended by multiple online recruitment agencies. Therefore, we would like to offer you a great remote online part-time job to help update app store data, increase app views and downloads, and provide you with free training. Flexible part-time and full-time work, allowing you to work 60 to 90 minutes a day, 4 days a week, and earn extra income on weekends. You can work anytime and anywhere according to your schedule and earn $250 to $500 a day. The basic salary is $1,000 per 4 days of work… If you want to join us, please send a text message to 347-760-5454 for more information. (Note: You must be at least 25 years old).”
Looks tempting, right? Flexible hours, great pay, no commute. That’s exactly what scammers are counting on.
Why Agents Are Getting Targeted Right Now
- Cashflow stress = higher risk tolerance. In a tight market, “bridge income” sounds logical. Scammers know this.
- We’re used to texting for business. They lean on SMS/WhatsApp to move you off verifiable channels.
- They speak our language. “Flexible,” “remote,” “quick training,” “no experience needed” — it’s written to hook tired, time-starved pros.
Who knows? On a different day, you might have ignored it. On a slow week, it hits different.
The Scam Playbook (So You Can See It Coming)
- The Hook: Too-Good-To-Be-True Pay
“$250–$500/day for 60–90 minutes” to “update app store data.” Big money, vague work. - The Detour: “Text Me” or WhatsApp
They push you off email/LinkedIn into a phone number they control. Zero accountability. - The Setup: “Training” + Accounts
You’ll be asked to create accounts, download tools (sometimes malware), or share banking details “for payroll.” - The Sting: Fake Checks or Crypto
They may send a fake check to “buy equipment” — you forward money, the check later bounces, and you’re on the hook. Or they use you to move money (money-mule risk), which is illegal even if you didn’t know. - The Vanish — or the Threat
They disappear with your data — or threaten you to squeeze more.
Short version: if it sounds like easy money, it’s expensive.
Screenshot This: The 2-Minute Scam Test
Fail any 1–2 of these? Walk away.
- Pay vs. Work: Big money for simple/unskilled tasks? Nope.
- Contact Method: Personal email, SMS, WhatsApp only? Nope.
- Public Posting: Can’t find the job on the company’s official careers page? Nope.
- Hiring Process: “Start today, no interview, no application”? Nope.
- Urgency Tricks: “50 spots left,” “Reply now,” age rules that make no sense? Nope.
- Money/Data Ask: Upfront fees, bank login, SSN before a written offer? Absolutely not.
Brokers & Managers: This Is for You
Use this in your next office sales meeting to protect your agents:
- Read my scam message aloud — exactly as it came to me. Watch the faces around the room.
- Ask: “Who here would have at least replied?” (You’ll get more hands than you think.)
- Walk them through the Scam Test — show how quickly you can kill a scam with the right questions.
- Role-play a reply that demands a company email and job posting link — scammers usually vanish right there.
- Assign homework — have agents forward the next suspicious offer they get to you.
A five-minute conversation today can save a career tomorrow.
Final Word
Markets turn. Your reputation and identity need to be intact when they do. If an offer promises big checks for tiny tasks and zero vetting, it’s not a job — it’s bait.
I urge you to up your game: run every “opportunity” through the Scam Test, keep it in your back pocket, and share this post with your office. Someone you know is going to get this text this week. Let’s make sure they delete it.
