If you think only the elderly or uneducated fall for scams, think again. Many young and educated people fall for scams, especially when scammers are using more sophisticated ways to cheat their victims.
In Malaysia, the police received 354 reports of job scams between 2021 and 2024. Job scams put victims in an extremely vulnerable position, as they could be trafficked to other countries or unknowingly become illegal money mules.
No matter the quick way to make big bucks, it’s important to remain vigilant in your job search. Scammers often target the vulnerable, and in this case, it means job seekers who are just looking for a good opportunity.
Don’t let the allure of a new and exciting job blind you to the danger. This article delves into the insidious nature of job scams, what they are, common red flags to watch out for, and how you can protect yourself.
what is a job scam?
A job scam is a fraudulent scheme where scammers pretend to be employers or recruiters to trick job seekers into giving up money, personal information, or even performing illegal activities under the disguise of legitimate employment.
Most of the time, scammers reach out to their victims on messaging platforms like Whatsapp or Telegram. Other times, they call your mobile hoping that you would pick up. However, there is no legitimate job waiting for you on the other side of the conversation.
how did scammers get your number?
Scammers often use phones instead of email addresses because it is easier to get a SIM card with a unique number instead of a business email address. By using a phone number, they also appear personalised, just like recruiters and employers who are headhunting for talent.
If you don’t remember listing your mobile number publicly, you must wonder how scammers managed to get them.
Our phone numbers can be easily bought from data brokers and dark web markets where personal information from past data breaches and leaks are sold. Other times, they just key numbers randomly hoping that one of them will be yours.
why does job scams work on anyone?
Scammers tap into your human side to lure you in. No matter your education level or age, job seekers are vulnerable to job scams because there is a desperation and urgency when it comes to securing employment.
Scammers also prey on common psychological triggers when presenting fraudulent jobs. They offer “too-good-to-be-true” offers that you could do as a side-hustle that could earn you quick bucks. With time to spare and the lure of extra money, why not?
In some rare cases, a friend whom you knew from long ago but haven’t spoken with tells you about an amazing opportunity to earn money quickly. And because it is someone you trusted, you fall into the scam quickly too.
This is how people fall into the trap of a job scam, even the most experienced and educated people.
common types of job scams
There are many ways on how scammers lure you into the job. We take a look at the 4 common ways scammers contact you.
fraudulent job advertisements
Scammers often set up fake accounts on social media like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, to reach out to victims. Other times, they use messaging apps like Whatsapp and Telegram.
They find profiles and photos of real recruiters and employers to set up their profiles, and use generative AI to compose professional messages, which often come across very authentic to users. Other times, they prepare and send images of fraudulent job advertisements, which may bait some users to ask for more information.
fake “recruiters” asking for upfront payments
There are scammers who pretend to be working with the HR department and are able to share real-looking job advertisements, sometimes with the promise of an overseas transfer.
These scams often ask for upfront payments, either to apply for a work visa or for a health checkup. These upfront payments are a scam and you should never have to pay a recruiter.
In a normal recruitment process, the host employer pays for the health checkup and manages the work visa application with the local government.
work-from-home scams promising high pay with little effort
These are some of the most common scam messages that most of us receive. We receive messages from an unknown or foreign number about a side-hustle that is remote work and offers very lucrative pay and commission.
The initial messages do not reveal information about what you need to do. Once you’re hooked, you will need to register on a website that are actually “phishing sites” or “spoofed websites”. They look like any other legitimate websites or job portals to trick users into entering personal details and login credentials which are harvested by scammers.
You may also be baited into a scam where you are awarded a small amount of commission after clicking some buttons, but will later start asking you to transfer money to an account to secure “larger commissions”. Eventually, these small amounts of money add up and you will suffer a net loss.
real consequences of falling for a scam
Victims of job scams have to face consequences that impact their quality of life, because they have to make changes depending on their new circumstances. These are some of the consequences of falling for a scam that you should be aware of.
financial loss
Financial losses can range from a few dollars to hundreds of thousands. Some may think that the victims would stop after losing a couple of dollars to the fake job scheme. However, scammers are skilled at manipulating emotions and often start with small requests to build trust. They escalate the demands once victims feel invested, causing many people to continue despite early warning signs and growing losses.
Victims that have suffered large amounts of financial losses will have to make changes as well to recuperate their losses, such as liquidating some of their assets or seeking financial assistance to restart their savings plan.
identity theft or misuse of personal data
Some people lose their personal information when they register for an account on a phishing site or when they send a photo of their ID or passport to the scammers. This information can often be used in other scams or other illegal activities a few years later.
Even though victims start new accounts with new usernames and passwords, they may continue to be haunted by the long-term consequences of identity theft, such as unauthorised financial activity, damage to their credit score, and ongoing fraudulent use of their personal data.
emotional toll and poor mental health
Victims of job scams hardly speak out about their experiences, because it is a chapter in their life that they want to forget. It is completely understandable as they feel embarrassed and anxious about being judged or blamed by others. They often fear that people might see them as naive or irresponsible for falling into a scam even though it can happen to anyone.
Victims may also lose their trust and confidence in legitimate job hunting, fearing that what they see on job boards are not real, which limits their willingness to apply for opportunities and narrows their options.
job scam red flags to watch out for
At the end of the day, scammers are after your money and personal data. So even as job scams become more sophisticated every day, there are some common red flags that you can look out for.
offers that seem too good to be true
Many job scams offer fully remote work with high commissions for very little work. These jobs do not exist.
While there are some jobs that are fully remote, they are uncommon and usually have a very good reason. For example, the company has a very small team and there is no need for them to have a physical office.
Most companies also have a very structured commission structure for their employees that is often detailed in the employment contract or mutually agreed upon with your manager after you are onboarded into the role.
requests for payment or bank details upfront
If you’re asked for your bank details before you signed an official employment contract, then it is definitely a scam.
In a regular recruitment process, recruiters or employers only ask for your bank details after you start your job. The reason for asking for your bank details is only for payroll purposes to ensure that your salary is transferred to your bank account.
poorly written communication or suspicious email addresses
Scam messages and emails have very poor grammar and spelling, as well as too many emojis. However, it is getting increasingly difficult to spot this because scammers use generative AI to improve the quality of the messages that they send to you.
One of the biggest red flags is a suspicious email address. Recruiters and employers connect with talent using their business email address instead of Gmail or Hotmail. All legitimate businesses have a business email domain.
absence of employment contract or received one for no reason
If you’ve been asked to start working without an employment contract, even for a “test run”, then it is definitely a job scam. Some victims may even receive an employment offer or contract to sign, even when they did not attend any job interviews before.
No legitimate business will ever ask anyone to start work without signing an employment contract that details the salary, job responsibilities, and employee benefits. The employment contract is required and governed by local labour laws, regardless of your employment type.
how to protect yourself from job scams
Besides knowing what red flags to look out for is the first step to identifying a job scam. But you will never know if it is truly a legitimate job opportunity because scammers are constantly evolving their tactics with convincing communications, fake websites, and even conducting fake interviews.
Here are some ways that you can further protect yourself from job scams.
research the company
Company websites with a strong digital presence and their own URL domain used to be good enough to help us determine whether the offer is legitimate. However, scammers are now also setting up websites to build trust with their victims.
Digital users need to dive deeper to find out more about the company. For example, matching email domains with the company’s website domains, or even finding and messaging an employee in the company on LinkedIn to determine if it is real. While this research takes up extra time, it can help give a sense of confidence and reduce the risk of falling victim to a scam.
verify recruiter details on professional platforms
If you have received a message from a recruiter or employer on LinkedIn, you can check if the sender has a verification badge on their profile. The badge appears just next to their name on their LinkedIn profile.
A verified profile is one of the parameters that LinkedIn has created to protect job seekers from falling for scams from fake accounts.
If you received a message on Whatsapp or Telegram from a recruiter or employer and would want to verify its authenticity, you can ask them for their LinkedIn profile to look for the verification badge or for a business email to connect for more information.
use official channels to apply for jobs
In today’s digitally connected world, many companies are promoting job opportunities on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Check that the advertisement is promoted by a verified account before clicking on any links on social media platforms.
When you click on the links from a verified account, you should also be directed to the official career website to apply for jobs. Always check the URL links whenever you are directed to a new page to ensure that they are legitimate. Look out for subtle changes or extra characters in the URL link that scammers often insert to create fake sites and verify that the domain matches the company’s official website.
It is easier to check URL links using laptops or desktop computers instead of your mobile devices.
update your phone and app software to effectively block calls and messages from unknown numbers
Phone companies are updating their software to protect users from scams by blocking calls and messages from unknown numbers, especially foreign numbers.
You can activate features in your phone to send calls from numbers that are not in your contacts directly to voicemail to prevent unknown spam calls. Some phones also send spam warnings whenever you receive calls or messages from unknown numbers.
Users can also update their privacy settings on messaging apps like Whatsapp and Telegram. Users can report and block suspicious accounts, which flags the account for the company’s review and limits interaction to prevent future illegal activities.
what to do if you’re already targeted
If you’ve already been targeted by a scammer and starting to feel that something is fishy about the whole interaction, here are some actions that you can take to protect yourself from further harm.
stop all communications and do not send further information or money
Immediately stop all communications with them. You do not need to tell them that you know they are a scammer, because they will simply move on to their next victim after being ignored or confronted.
Continuing to engage only wastes your time and may expose you to further manipulation or pressure tactics.
report the scam on social media and messaging apps
Report and block the users directly on the messaging apps that you’ve been communicating on.
This immediately alerts the platform company, be it LinkedIn or Telegram, which will review and take further action to limit the account’s ability to use the platform.
This is one of the most efficient ways to report any fake account as the tech companies will be able to take actions immediately, which will help prevent the scammers from luring more victims.
inform your bank and change passwords immediately
If you have already shared financial and personal information, you should contact the bank immediately.
Your bank’s customer service will provide you with a list of actions that you need to take, such as blocking any withdrawals from your account for a specified period, changing your passwords and replacing your credit card. In some cases, they may even advise you to close your existing account and set up a new one to generate a new account number.
If you are unsure, you can always visit the nearest bank branch to you for in-person guidance, which can be more assuring.
report the scam to your local authority
If you have lost money or have shared your personal data with the scammer, you must report the scam to the local police. You may not be the first victim of a similar scam and the information you share may help the police arrest the syndicate behind the scams. Reporting to the police can also help them take down fraudulent websites or accounts more quickly, which can reduce harm to future victims.
Some police centres may also provide additional resources to victims like counselling services, which can help you face the ordeal in a less negative way to protect yourself from further harm.
apply for verified jobs at randstad malaysia
If you are looking for jobs in Malaysia, there is no better place to look than on our website. Website pages that start with the www.randstad.com.my are legitimate, and we also have a physical office where our specialised consultants are working from at Bangsar South in Kuala Lumpur. All our recruiters’ LinkedIn profiles are also verified to provide you with some ease and assurance.
Whenever you are ready to start your job search, visit our jobs page for the latest opportunities in the market to apply directly. One of our recruiters will connect with you if you’re shortlisted for the role based on your skills and experience. We also explicitly ask for data consent from all of our applicants to ensure that we can continue to work with you to find you your dream job.
frequently asked questions about job scams
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what is the most common job scam right now?
The most common scam is “too‑good‑to‑be‑true” work‑from‑home job scam offers. Many of these scams are AI‑driven, using realistic branding and fake profiles that mimic real companies.
Scammers pose as employers or recruiters on LinkedIn or WhatsApp, promising high pay or quick hiring. Victims are asked to pay for equipment, “deposits,” or training, only to lose money and personal data.
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how can I verify if a recruiter is real?
To verify a recruiter, start by checking their professional email address. Legitimate recruiters use company domains, not generic accounts like Gmail or email domains that are different from the company website.
Look up their LinkedIn profile for the verified tick and for a solid work history, credible connections, and consistent job titles.
Scammers often avoid phone calls or company references, so insist on official correspondence and check company websites for employee listings. Always be cautious if you’re asked to share banking details or fees as authentic recruiters never request payment from candidates.
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how to identify online job scams?
Online job scams often show key signs like vague descriptions, unusually high salaries, and requests for payment or sensitive information upfront. Emails or messages from unofficial addresses, poor grammar, or lack of company contact details are also red flags. Real employers never ask you to pay for work passes, training, or equipment. Verify job listings through the company’s official website or reputable job boards like Indeed or LinkedIn.
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how are remote job scams different from regular scams?
Remote job scams rely more heavily on impersonation and digital deception. Scammers exploit the lack of face‑to‑face verification, using fake job listings, fraudulent employer websites, or social networking profiles to appear credible.
Victims might be told to buy equipment or perform tasks under false pretenses, only for the “employer” to vanish. Some even use bounced reimbursement cheques or stolen branding from real firms. Unlike in‑person scams, these target personal data and digital credentials, making identity theft a major risk.
They also often feel legitimate because they mimic remote‑work culture and recruitment language.