Westpac’s urgent warning about hard jobs scams hits Aussies who struggle the most

Westpac has warned of an explosion in the number of scammers preying on Australians looking for a second job so they can pay their bills.

Those under 40, facing rising rents or monthly mortgage payments, are most affected.

Job scams, in which criminals pose as an employer or recruitment agency to obtain personal information, had increased tenfold, or 1,000 percent, compared to just a “handful of cases in 2022.”

Scammers offer fake jobs through WhatsApp and trick them into sending money.

The worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation is as more people seek part-time jobs with unemployment at 3.5 percent, a 48-year low.

Ben Young, head of fraud at Westpac, said this type of scam has escalated since early 2023.

“Since the beginning of the year, we’ve seen a significant spike in reported job scams, which occur when someone is tricked into making a payment or sharing personal information through a bogus job offer,” he said.

Therese Kaley, the managing director of Sydney-based recruitment agency Better Staff, said the increase in scams has coincided with more people applying for jobs.

“We’re seeing more people considering a possible switch to get a higher salary or considering taking on a second job for extra income, largely due to rising cost-of-living pressures,” she said.

Mr Young said scammers resorted to using fake job offers to charge for training and work-related equipment.

“Scammers also use bogus offers to trick you into sending money,” Mr Young said.

In many cases, scammers also offer jobs that someone did not apply for after obtaining personal information illegally.

“Often scammers have fraudulently obtained some of your information, such as your phone number or address, which can make an offer sound legitimate,” said Mr. Young.

Those under 40, facing rising rents or monthly mortgage payments, are the ones most likely to be targeted by criminals posing as an employer or a recruitment agency so they can obtain personal information (stock image)

“They also abuse the application process by tricking you into sharing more personal information, such as your driver’s license, passport or tax file numbers.”

Those aged 31 to 40 were most likely to be affected, accounting for 32 percent of reported cases.

People in this age group are also more likely to have bought their first home before the Reserve Bank began the first of its 12 rate hikes in May 2022.

Young adults aged 18 to 30 made up 30 percent of the cases, with this group more likely to experience higher rents.

Women made up the majority of victims, accounting for 58 percent of all cases.