Data gathered by Scamwatch has shown that Australians lost over $8.7 million to recruitment scams in 2022.
The ACCC’s Scamwatch is warning young people in particular, to protect their personal information when applying for jobs and to beware of job offers made through social media platforms or messaging services such as Whatsapp.
“Thousands of young Australians have finished school and graduated from university, with high-hopes about their future careers and the intention to look for work in the new year. Unfortunately, they are being targeted by scammers,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“We know younger people are particularly vulnerable, with Australians aged between 25 and 44 reporting the biggest losses to job scams.”
“If you are job hunting and you are offered work that requires little effort for a big financial reward it is most likely a scam. This might include repeatedly clicking a button on a website or app to purchase products or submit reviews.”
There have been more than 3,194 reports of job scams made to Scamwatch in the past year, and many of the victims were lured on the promise of making money quickly.
Scammers will often ask for a payment in exchange for a guaranteed income. They pretend to be hiring on behalf of high-profile companies and online shopping platforms and impersonate well-known recruitment agencies.
“In the final months of 2022, we saw a significant uptick in reports and losses associated with recruitment scams and we are concerned these scammers will continue to ramp up their efforts as people look for work in the new year,” Ms Rickard said.
“With many Australians looking to make the most of a highly competitive job market, we are urging jobseekers to be wary of opportunities that seem too good to be true. Never make a payment or upfront investment to secure a job. If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.”
While also taking the usual scam precautions, here is some advice to avoid recruitment scams:
Be suspicious if the role is offered to you without an interview, or discussion about your experience, suitability and references.
Be cautious of recruiters that contact you via encrypted message platforms like WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram. These platforms are commonly used by scammers.
Know who you are dealing with. Research the recruiter and the business or individual offering the position. Contact the recruitment agency via phone numbers sourced from an independent internet search.
Don’t be pressured to act quickly. A legitimate offer will not require you to make an immediate decision. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Don’t trust the legitimacy of a job ad just because it appears on a trusted platform or website – scammers post fake ads too. If you come across a scammer, report it to the platform or agency.
Don’t take payment or rewards to recruit other people into a scheme.
If you have experienced cybercrime and lost money online, you can report to the police via ReportCyber at www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/report.
If you have given personal information to a scammer contact IDCARE at www.idcare.org.
Australians, regardless of whether they have lost money, are encouraged to report scams and learn more about how to get help on the Scamwatch website scamwatch.gov.au.
