Crypto-Paid 'Jobs' and Web3 Recruitment Scams
A 'Web3 startup' offers a role with salary paid in unfamiliar tokens, often combined with wallet-draining onboarding tasks.
The crypto-paid job scam blends multiple fraud patterns: fake company, malware install, and wallet-draining transactions. The recruiter offers a role at a 'stealth-mode Web3 startup' paying in their native token. Onboarding involves connecting your wallet to a custom dApp 'for payroll setup' — which then drains your wallet via an approval transaction.
Red flags
- 01Salary paid entirely in an unfamiliar or pre-launch token, not stablecoins or fiat
- 02Onboarding requires connecting a crypto wallet to a non-mainstream dApp
- 03Company has no on-chain history, no audited contracts, and no real team page
- 04Recruiter found you in a Discord, Telegram crypto group, or via DM
- 05Asked to sign 'permission' or 'approval' transactions during onboarding
Real-world example
"Welcome to our protocol! For payroll setup, please connect your wallet at app.protocol-payroll.xyz and approve the token-streaming contract so we can deposit your monthly $5K in $PROTO directly."
Why this scam works
Web3 hiring norms are unsettled, so unusual practices don't immediately register as suspicious. Token-streaming and on-chain payroll are real concepts, which makes the malicious version harder to distinguish from legitimate Web3 employers.
What to do
- 01Never connect your main wallet to an unknown dApp — use a fresh, empty wallet to test
- 02Verify any company's on-chain history independently before any interaction
- 03Salary should always be possible to receive in stablecoins or fiat — illiquid tokens only is a red flag
- 04Revoke any unwanted token approvals at revoke.cash if you suspect compromise
Run any suspicious posting through Sentari.
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