The short answer consists of two parts. Bots that pay for views exist, but they pay tens of kopecks per action. Bots that promise UAH 100–300 per day for watching videos are a fraudulent scheme, which the Cyber Police describes as one of the most common. Let’s examine both cases because you can distinguish between them before doing anything.

Why You Cannot Earn Much from Views

The client pays for artificially inflated views, meaning they pay to make their video or channel look more popular. The value of a single view from someone who opens a video to earn 50 kopecks and immediately closes it is close to zero for an advertiser. Therefore, the payment ceiling is determined by the mechanics themselves: no one will pay more because it would not pay off. The realistic maximum when working with several such bots simultaneously is approximately UAH 150–200 for a full working day, while other estimates put it at approximately UAH 20–30 per day. For context, the minimum wage in Ukraine is approximately UAH 8,647 per month, meaning this option pays approximately five times less than the lowest legal full-time salary. This leads to the main rule for verification. If a bot promises amounts that exceed this level, it earns money not from advertisers but from you.

How the Fake-Earnings Scheme Works

The Cyber Police describes this scheme directly: users are offered easy work, such as liking products in online stores or watching videos in exchange for small daily payments of UAH 100–300. The mechanics unfold in several stages, and it is precisely the sequence that makes the scheme convincing. First, you really are credited with a small amount and may even receive an actual payment. This is the key moment because a real payment completely removes suspicion. Next, the balance grows, but withdrawals become possible only after reaching a threshold that keeps moving further away. Then additional conditions appear: a withdrawal fee, a verification deposit, a tax on the payment, or a fee to speed up processing. The rule that settles this question once and for all is stated by the Cyber Police as follows: legitimate platforms automatically deduct fees from the withdrawal amount rather than demanding additional transfers. The final stage involves asking you for card details supposedly to credit the money. Here, it is worth remembering one more rule: you never need to provide an expiration date, the three-digit code on the back of the card, or confirmation codes from messages to receive money.

Another Scheme That Does Not Steal Money

There is a variation in which nothing is requested from you, which is precisely why it is not perceived as a scam. The mechanics are as follows: you are promised UAH 1,000–2,000 for completing simple tasks, such as subscribing to a channel, scanning a code, or watching a video. Then the requirements multiply. First, one channel, then five more, then another ten, and the payment is always just one step away. The promised money does not exist at all. This is a way to funnel people into dozens of channels because the more subscribers they have, the higher the price of their advertising posts. Formally, your data is not stolen and no money is taken, so the harm appears to be zero. In reality, you waste time, clutter your messenger with dozens of channels, and become part of an audience that is sold to advertisers. The advertisers themselves also lose out because they are paying for people who came looking for free money.

How to Tell the Difference in 30 Seconds

These are the signs that can help you make a decision before taking any action. The promised amount exceeds several hundred hryvnias per day. You have to pay something to withdraw your money, regardless of how the payment is described. You are asked for card details, the three-digit code, or a code from a message. The bot copies the appearance of a bank, government institution, or charity platform. The Cyber Police specifically notes that scammers use a premium subscription to add stickers that imitate a verification badge. The requirements keep increasing. The withdrawal threshold moves further away as you approach it. You found the bot through a message in a messenger, social media advertising, or a mass mailing rather than through your own deliberate search. There is a promise of guaranteed daily income. Two or more of these signs mean you should not continue.

A Separate Note About Government Payments

This category deserves attention because people fall for it most often. The government does not distribute money through Telegram bots. Neither government services nor assistance programs use bots to make payments. Any message about credited assistance, compensation, or a prize that contains a link to a bot is a scam without exception. You should verify information about payments only on official portals or in the official app.

What to Do If You Have Already Entered Your Details

The order of actions matters, and you need to act quickly. Immediately block your card through your banking app or by calling the number on the back of the card. Change the passwords for all your accounts, using another device if you suspect that your device has been infected. Enable two-factor authentication in your messenger if it is not already enabled. File a report with the Cyber Police through its official website or hotline. Report the bot directly in the messenger through its profile and the fraud-reporting option. Warn your contacts if your account may have been compromised.

What Actually Works Instead

If you were looking for a way to earn money through a messenger, legitimate options exist; they simply require skills or time. Custom bot development pays approximately UAH 12,000 per project and requires only a basic level of programming to get started. Working with other people’s channels, meaning administration, writing posts, and moderation, pays approximately UAH 4,000 per month per channel. Running your own channel with advertising generates income but requires months to build an audience. I have written about all these areas in separate articles, and what they have in common is that none promises money for actions that have no value.

Summary

Bots that pay for views exist and pay approximately UAH 20–200 for a full working day, or approximately five times less than the minimum wage. The ceiling is determined by the fact that an artificially inflated view has no value to the client. Everything that promises more operates according to a scheme that the Cyber Police describes directly: first, a small real payment to build trust, then a withdrawal threshold, and then a demand to pay a fee or enter card details. The most reliable check takes a second because it comes down to one question: are you being asked to pay something or enter your payment details? Legitimate platforms deduct fees from the payment itself and never require the three-digit code to credit money.

Sources

Description of the “earning money from likes and views” scheme and verification rules from the Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine; Cyber Police warnings about fake bots impersonating banks and government institutions; an investigation into the scheme involving fake payments for subscriptions. The comparison with the minimum wage was calculated by the editorial team.