What about a scenario where a project after requesting for such payment from participants actually airdropped but to just about 15% of their participants out of a 100% that made that TON payment task. Can that still be regarded as some form of scam? since the notion has been that most of these airdrops that request some fee to be paid don't usually fulfill their promise.
Yes, it's a scam and it's a ponzi scheme where the first participants are paid, but the later ones are scammed. That happens due to the fact scammers use the initial funds being paid by the participants to reward some of them, so they will share on their social medias and groups the airdrop is legit, encouraging other participants to send money as well. However, the last ones to send don't receive anything, and that is where the scammers make their profit from.
Right after, the project ends, nobody else talks about it and the thieves come back with a new fresh brand to start the scheme once again. The scheme from one bullish cycle to another is never the same, but there are always many similarities.