They aren't scams. They are just opportunities of low compensation. A scam is where someone is robbing you blind because they lie to you. A crappy "job" doesn't have to be a scam to be crappy.
Many of these "gig economy" companies have grossly misrepresented the earning potential[1]. That bit is scammy. As is stealing tips, which Instacart was caught doing.
They lie in the sense that they take advantage of the fact that some people do not have the education or intelligence to think about things like asset depreciation, making them absorb these costs without being fully aware of the implications.
