Please be advised to be extremely cautious when applying for jobs following reports of people having their identity ‘stolen’ when responding to fraudulent job ads.
Scammers are understood to be posting fake job ads in newspapers and on recruitment websites. These scammers aim to obtain personal details such as bank and passport details so they can ‘steal’ the identity of the applicant in order to undertake malicious activities such as taking out loans in the victim’s name. This may force the victim into the sometimes complicated and expensive process of proving they are not liable for debts incurred or actions undertaken in their name by the scammers.
Scammers may also seek to steal money from jobseekers by asking them to pay travel, accommodation or ‘job application fees’ as part of an application process for the fraudulent job.
While most online recruitment agencies take the threat of fraudulent advertising very seriously and apply automated and manual processes to remove suspect ads, HumanFirewall recommends jobseekers also be careful when responding to ads.
Staying safe
HumanFirewall recommends that jobseekers independently verify any role they apply for. They can do this by contacting the company named in the advertisement directly and by verifying its phone number or email address by searching sources such as directories or the company’s official website. Do not rely on details contained within the ad. For businesses that the jobseeker may not be familiar with, confirming their existence as official entities by searching the Australian Business Register for their Australian Business Number may also be useful.
Jobseekers should also be suspicious of any job offer that seems too good to be true, and of any up-front requests for sensitive personal information or bank account details. They should also be wary of jobs that involve moving money via their personal bank account or an account set up in their name, or forwarding packages to their home address, as these may involve illegal activity.
