When an Online 'Job' Demands Fees Before Paying You: Wage Rights and Scam Warning Signs
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 27, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I worked for vimeoviews.com and earned $500 usdt trc20 but after minimum withdrawal I had to pay $33 for fund plan. After this I also had to pay tax fee for $28 now they was….
I mean for my payment to be processed automaticallh.
Attorney Answer
Being asked to pay a "fund plan" fee and a "tax" fee in cryptocurrency before an online employer will release money you already earned is a well-documented advance-fee scam pattern, not normal payroll practice — a legitimate employer never requires payment to release wages you've already earned.
Scammers running these schemes always invent a new fee once the last one is paid, so sending more money will not get your funds released. Separately, if a genuine employment relationship existed here, California Labor Code § 221 makes it unlawful for an employer to collect or receive back from an employee any part of wages already paid to that employee — but that point is secondary to the scam risk.
What you can do:
1. Stop sending any further "fees" immediately — do not pay whatever the next requested charge is.
2. Report the incident to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and to the Federal Trade Commission.
3. Contact the cryptocurrency exchange or wallet used to see whether the transaction can be flagged, frozen, or traced.
4. If you believe a genuine employment relationship exists, consult an employment attorney about pursuing an unpaid-wage claim.
⏱ Time limits apply. If a legitimate wage claim underlies this, unpaid-wage claims carry a limitations period, so don't delay consulting an employment attorney about that angle — but the more urgent priority right now is to stop sending any further payments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal for an employer to require payment before releasing earned wages?
Generally no. Many states prohibit employers from requiring workers to pay fees to receive wages already earned, and repeated fee requests before payout are a common sign of a scam rather than legitimate payroll practice.
What should someone do if they've already paid fees to an online employer for wages?
Stopping further payments and reporting the incident to agencies such as the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center or the Federal Trade Commission is generally recommended, since paying additional fees typically does not lead to release of funds.
Can a worker recover money paid in this type of situation?
Recovery can be difficult, especially with cryptocurrency payments, but contacting the exchange or wallet provider promptly to ask about freezing or tracing the transaction may help, and an attorney can advise on further options.
