Australians lost more than $4 million in one month this year to job scams, sparking a police warning.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander Graeme Marshall said employment scams were a concerning trend, with criminals targeting Australians looking for flexible, remote or part-time work by posting fake job ads online.
“They’re called employment or job scams and are designed to exploit job seekers by offering what seems like quick and easy money for little work required,” Commander Marshall said.
He said the deceptive job ads involved 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.”
Commander Marshall said scammers impersonated either recruiters or representatives from legitimate companies in education, healthcare, mining, real estate, tourism or entertainment (TV and/or film) to attract and gain trust from online applicants.
“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.”
He said criminal networks would increasingly ramp up fake job ads online to lure and defraud Australians already facing financial pressures.
“In January 2025 alone, Australians lost more than $4.2 million to employment scams reported to Scamwatch.
“Criminals are 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,”
Commander Marshall said the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre had identified organised criminal networks advertising fake jobs that offered up to $1000 a month plus commission.
“However, applicants are rarely paid.”
He said scammers may ask applicants to invest upfront, with the false promise they would be reimbursed once work begins.
“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.”
Commander Marshall said scammers would 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.
How to protect yourself from job scams
- Research the legitimacy of job offers by contacting companies directly using official contact information.
- Some job scam ads misspell “j0b”.
- Be cautious of jobs with vague responsibilities or unrealistic salaries.
- Don’t share banking and personal details with anyone you don’t know or trust.
- Legitimate employers never ask for money upfront.
- Don’t engage with online posts offering large sums of money.
- If someone asks to use or ‘borrow’ your bank account, say no.
- If you suspect something is not right, reject the offer.
What to do if you’re a victim
- Stop all communication with the scammer.
- Contact your financial institution if you have transferred money or suspect unusual account activity.
- Report it to police using Report Cyber.
- Report suspected scams to ScamWatch to help others avoid similar scams.
- If you were contacted via social media, report it to the social media platform.
- Use strong, unique passphrases on your accounts and enable Multi-Factor Authentication wherever possible.
- If you are concerned your identity has been compromised, contact the national identity and cyber support service, IDCARE.
- If you, or someone you know needs help, we encourage you to contact Lifeline on13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on1300 224 636. They provide 24/7 support services.
