Australian Federal Police warn against scam job ads

The Australian Federal Police have warned of an aggressive scam targeting people looking for flexible, remote or part-time work. Find out what to look out for.

An AFP cybercrime operation.

“Earn $1000 a month from home! No experience needed. Work just 1-3 hours a day. Apply now!”

If you’ve seen a job ad like this on your social media feed, as a text message or in your email inbox, it’s not the once-in-a-lifetime unicorn job offer it purports to be – it’s a “flat-out con job”.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) warn criminals are aggressively targeting Australians looking for flexible, remote or part-time work by posting fake job ads online with the deceptive job ads involving simple online tasks, such as “liking” social media posts, reviewing products or entering data.

They appear as legitimate side hustle gigs and are shared widely on social media platforms, messaging apps, and even gaming sites.

Scammers impersonate either recruiters or representatives from legitimate companies in education, healthcare, mining, real estate, tourism or TV and to attract and gain trust from online applicants.

An example of one of the job ad scam texts.

Pictures: Australian Federal Police

Once job seekers apply for these fake roles, they are tricked into handing over their own money for deceptive fees such as investment, training or registration costs.

They also risk having their identities stolen by the criminals, who then use them to commit other frauds.

The AFP anticipates criminal networks will increasingly ramp up fake job ads online to lure and defraud Australians already facing financial pressures.

In January alone, Australians lost more than $4.2m to employment scams reported to ­Scamwatch.

Australians lost more than $4.2m to employment scams in January.

AFP Commander Graeme Marshall said employment scams were targeting vulnerable Australians, “especially those already feeling the pinch, who have been unemployed for a long period of time or are seeking secondary employment for extra income”.

“Scammers tailor these job ads to hit all your vulnerable spots. They offer hope to people who are struggling, only to leave them worse off and in some cases entangled in serious criminal activity.”

The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) has identified organised criminal networks advertising fake jobs that offer up to $1000 a month plus commission. However, applicants are rarely paid.

Scammers may ask applicants to invest upfront, with the false promise they will be reimbursed once work begins.

The Australian Federal Police have warned criminals are aggressively targeting Australians looking for flexible, remote or part-time work. Picture: AFP

Pictures: AFP

The criminals may make small initial payments to appear legitimate, before demanding more money for access to higher-paying tasks.

In some cases, victims are told they need to pay for training, equipment, or registration fees via bank transfer or cryptocurrency, but criminals instead pocket this cash.

Scammers will also request victims’ personal information, such as bank details, tax file numbers and passport details, under the guise of a job application, and use those details to open bank accounts in the victims’ names and commit other serious crimes such as identity theft and money laundering.

Commander Marshall said the AFP urged individuals looking for part-time or temporary work to seek out legitimate recruitment companies or well-regarded online job advertisement boards.

“No legitimate employer will ever ask you to pay to get a job. If you’re being asked to pay for things to complete a recruitment process, it’s most likely a scam,” Commander Marshall said.

“If the job description sounds vague, requires an upfront investment, and is overly generous in its pay compared to the work or input required, these are all the hallmarks of a job scam.”

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Originally published as Australian Federal Police warn against scam job ads