Description

On June 27, 2025, I received an invitation from Matrix Media Sp. z o.o. to serve as an editor/proofreader. The offer read in part this: "We're looking for a detail-oriented individual to assist with reviewing and editing business documents for clarity and accuracy. This role offers the flexibility of working remotely and setting your own hours." Upon expressing my interest, the company sent a document that included "details on responsibilities, schedules, and compensation. . . . At the initial stage of cooperation, the work will take 30 - 60 minutes a day. At the same time, your guaranteed income will be $20 - $150 USD per day." Indeed, the texts that I did receive and review paid around $20-$40 per day, strengthening my belief that this was a legitimate organization. The position was titled as "online office manager." The document also indicated this detail about payment: "You are paid through PayPal, Zelle, Cash app, Venmo or direct deposit." The document was signed by "HR-Chef Matrix Media Marquel Bright." However, after working for a week, I received an email that said this in part: "Our company has made some updates in the way we do business in order to improve customer service and efficiency of deals. Due to these changes, the position of online office manager is temporarily unavailable. Please know that the payment you have earned in the previous period of our partnership will be send [SIC] to your wallet or Cashapp completely in a timely manner." The email offered me a position as "deals manager," with a monthly salary of $3,000. This, of course, was an obvious red flag. When I inquired about payment for the work I had completed, one email said, "We can pay your salary for the reviewing of texts ahead of schedule with the first deal accepted by you, it means we will include your payment for texts $208 to the first deal payment." In other words, the company was demanding that I sign a contract for this "new" position before they would pay me the money that had been promised. I subsequently sent several emails demanding details about this position, which were provided to me. Basically, these emails indicated that as a "deals manager," the company would make a sale and then ask me to deposit the buyer's payment, claiming that, "Since we are a European company, we cannot accept payments from customers directly. To do this, we need representatives like you." This claim is patently false. Despite subsequent emails requesting the payment for the work I had done, I received no response regarding this issue. In the initial job offer, there was never ANY indication that I would have to contract to another position before being paid. The money due me is not a large amount--only about $208. But that is not the point. This company lured me into a job that was clearly a pretext for trying to get me into a scam situation, and one that has all the earmarks of money laundering. They then refused to pay me until I signed the "deals manager" contract, nor did they provide any response to my repeated requests for payment. Through some online research, I subsequently found other individuals who had been roped in by this scam and were still awaiting their payments of $200 or so. Granted, I should have checked out this company more carefully before agreeing to work for them, and I would have realized it is neither legitimate nor trustworthy. I have taken steps to engage legal counsel to see about filing a small claims lawsuit. The attorney has indicated an interest in possibly including other "victims" in the lawsuit. Again, the issue here is not the money but the principle--the stealthy, duplicitous manner in which this company has deceived honest workers and then refused to pay what they had promised. I would very much like to see this company exposed for the fraudulent organization that it is. I have retained all emails both to and from the company, and I have also retained copies of the work that I have done. I honestly don't expect to get my meager payment from Matrix, but I strive to expose the company. Meanwhile, I caution anyone who is approached with an offer by Matrix Media Sp. z o.o. to ignore it and to, if possible, expose the organization for the scam that it is running.