Australian jobseekers lost more than $8.7 million (US$5.9 million) to recruitment scams in 2022, new data revealed.
As many as 3,194 recruitment scams had been reported to Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s Scamwatch in the past year, with many victims lured by promises of quick money, according to a Jan. 3 statement by the agency.
Scammers often pretend to be hiring on behalf of high-profile companies and online shopping platforms and impersonate well-known recruitment agencies, demanding an upfront sum of money in exchange for a “guaranteed job or income,” the ACCC said.
“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….