Alert for jobseekers: Employment Scams

 

It has come to our attention that fraudsters have been posing as recruiters representing AACo and contacting job-seeking candidates regarding job opportunities with our Company. Examples brought to our attention have targeted jobseekers outside of Australia. These fraudulent processes may include a request for payment and confidential personal information.

AACo will never ask you for payment as part of its recruitment process and will not request confidential information early in the recruitment process. Below is information about employment scams and warning signs that an offer might be an employment scam.

What is an employment scam?

An employment or job scam is where someone encourages you to apply for a job that doesn’t exist. Fraudsters may create these scams for many reasons, for example to steal money from people or to obtain personal information and documentation which may allow them to commit fraud.

There may be many different forms of employment scam. For example, a fraudster might pretend to represent AACo and advertise an enticing job opportunity on job notice boards, social media or by contacting you directly. If you apply, they may put you through a false interview process, and then ask for your passport and other details as part of the onboarding process after offering you the job. You could receive a letter saying you have been offered a job, and asking you for money to pay for a recruitment fee or flights.

Warning signs for employment scams

If you have been approached for a job at AACo, watch out for these signs that it could be a fake job scam:

  • If you are asked to pay money – AACo (or external recruiters representing us) will never ask you for any form of payment to apply for a job. Scammers may also request that you top up an account with your own money or cryptocurrency or make purchases or receive packages on behalf of someone else.
  • If you are required to provide personal information or ID documents very early in your application – Some personal information and ID documents may be required to confirm your right to work and visa requirements, however these are generally only requested once you have been offered the job. It may be a scam if early in the process someone is asking you for things like your passport, drivers’ license (or other ID cards), visa documentation, date of birth or home address.
  • The job is based in another country – If you live outside Australia and are unexpectedly contacted about a job with AACo, there is a heightened possibility it is a scam.

Other warning signs include:

  1. A recruiter contacts you unexpectedly through text message or encrypted message platforms like WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram.
  2. The hiring process is quick. There’s no interview or discussion about your qualifications, experience, and references.

You can report scams to scamwatch: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam

For more resources, and tips on what to look out for visit Jobs and employment scams | Scamwatch