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Young jobseekers warned of recruitment scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has urged jobseekers — and young people in particular — to be on high alert for scams when searching for jobs in 2023.
Lauren Croft
After new Scamwatch figures revealed that Australians lost over $8.7 million to recruitment scams in 2022, young jobseekers have been warned to protect their personal information when applying for jobs moving forward into the new year.
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Jobseekers should be particularly wary of job offers made through social media platforms or messaging services such as Whatsapp, according to ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard.
“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,” she 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.”
According to the ACCC, there were more than 3,194 reports of job scams made to Scamwatch last year, with many of the victims being lured by the promise of making money quickly.
Scammers will often ask for a payment in exchange for a guaranteed income and pretend to be hiring on behalf of high-profile companies and online shopping platforms, as well as 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.”
In terms of avoiding these scams, the ACCC advised young jobseekers to never give out personal information to a stranger — as well as to be suspicious if a role is offered without an interview or discussion about previous experience, suitability and references. In addition, jobseekers should be cautious of recruiters who get in contact via encrypted message platforms like WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram.
