Entering the new year, the ACCC has raised the alarm on new job scams in 2023, after Scamwatch released 2022 findings on the unique scam type.
According to Scamwatch, Australians lost more than $8.7 million in new job scams in 2022. Previously, the ACCC called on the government to introduce harsher laws to rein in scammers and big tech.
Characteristically, these types of scams take the form of a prospective employment opportunity. The scammer will typically ask for a payment from the target as some sort of proof.
This can happen while the scammer is impersonating a recruitment agency or a place of employment, typically that of a high-profile company or online shopping platform.
“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.
The ACCC says that there have been 3,194 reports of job-related scams over 2022, pertaining to offers of employment or making money quickly.
This apparently saw an uptick in the later months of 2022, particularly as people started to look for new employment in the new year.
“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,” Rickard added.
The ACCC is advising caution around job hunting, and to be wary of opportunities “that seem too good to be true”.
Just to be clear, and as the ACCC says, never make an upfront payment with the promise of securing a job.
If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank immediately and reach out to Scamwatch. They’re actually taking these things seriously.
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