Photo by Karolina Grabowska
Scamwatch has revealed figures which detail how Australians lost millions of dollars to recruitment scams in 2022.
Scamwatch, which is a part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has warned that recruitments scams are targeting young jobseekers by making them offers through social media platforms and messaging services.
Jobseekers have been told to protect their personal information.
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said young people who have just graduated school or university, and are looking for jobs, are a prime target for scammers.
“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.” Ms Rickard said.
“Unfortunately, they are being targeted by scammers.
“We know younger people are particularly vulnerable, with Australians aged between 25 and 44 reporting the biggest losses to job scams.” She said.
Ms Rickard then went on to describe what types of scams people may encounter.
“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.” She said.
Over 3,000 reports were made to Scamwatch over 2022, with the lure typically being a large sum of money to be made quickly.
The ACCC has cautioned jobseekers against anyone asking for payment in exchange for guaranteed income.
Scammers will typically pretend to be hiring on behalf of high-profile companies or impersonate recruitment agencies to enforce a sense of legitimacy.
Ms Rickard expressed concern for what 2023 might bring based on what occurred in 2022.
“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.” She said.
The ACCC provided three main steps to avoiding falling prey to scammers; Stop, think, and protect.
Scams can be reported to Scamwatch.
Second Part here
