This is the third article of a four-part series to help raise awareness of job scams.
At Randstad, our candidates’ safety during their job search process is our top priority. Unfortunately, some eager job seekers may accidentally fall victim to popular job scams. In this third installment of our educational series around job scams, we discuss what you should do if you find yourself to be a victim of a job scam.
You are a victim once you start speaking with the scammer on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp after being exposed to a fraudulent job advertisement.
If you have been exposed to a job scam, chances are you will find the scenarios outlined below very familiar.
Here are some tips on what you should do if you are a victim of job scam:
1. if you have been asked to make a trip to another country for the interview or to make a payment prior to the job confirmation
Did the recruiter ask you to travel to another country for a job interview or make a bank transfer prior to receiving a job confirmation?
In the event that you receive a job opportunity to travel to another country for work, the real interview process will always start with a phone call or video conference with the potential employer before you are required to travel. Your recruiter will be responsible for arranging the conference call between you and the potential employer. In most cases, you are only required to travel to another country after you have already secured the job and all necessary travel and employment documents have already been approved by the local government.
At Randstad, our recruiters will never ask job seekers for financial remuneration of any kind for our services nor payment or advantages in respect of expenses or otherwise.
If you have been approached by a scammer whom you suspect is misusing Randstad’s name, contact us via our live chat platform or call us at +65 6510 1350 (Randstad Singapore) or +60 03-2036 6666 (Randstad Malaysia) to inform us of the scammer’s profile name and any other details that may help us to stop others from being scammed. This will help us to warn people about current scams, monitor trends and stop scams as soon as possible.
Alternatively, you may email us at communications@randstad.com.sg. Please include details such as:
- your name and contact number
- screenshots of the conversation with the scammer
- the scammer's name and contact number
- screenshots of the fraudulent job advertisement
2. if you have already remitted the money
You are advised to stop all communications with the job scammer immediately.
If you have already transferred a sum of money or shared your personal details with the scammer, you are advised to file a legal report with your local authorities as soon as possible.
Once you have filed a report, it is advisable to proceed to the bank with the hard copy report to discuss the situation with the employees working at the bank. This process may vary from bank to bank and we cannot guarantee that the banks are able to reverse the transaction for you.
3. if you receive a fraudulent job advertisement from a friend or family member
Most fraudulent job advertisements first appear on Facebook groups and are later shared through WhatsApp messages. If you are a member of a Facebook group that advertises fraudulent opportunities, please unfollow the group immediately.
This is an example of what a fraudulent job advertisement may look like on Facebook:
If your friend or family member shares a job opportunity that looks like the above image, notify the person who forwarded you the message that this is a fake job scam and that they need to stop sharing it. You can also share your experience with your family and friends to protect them from scammers.
If you suspect that you are a target of a job scam or have already been scammed, reach out to your local authorities immediately to report the crime.
You may call the Singapore Police Force’s hotline at 1800 255 0000 or file an official e-report via Singapore Police Force’s website (SingPass required).
By filing a report with the local authorities, you are helping us raise awareness of job scams and protecting your family and friends from becoming victims of scams.
You can also submit an e-report to the following Malaysian authorities:
- malaysia communications & multimedia commission (MCMC) complaint portal
- malaysian computer emergency response team
For more information, please read the following:
https://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/announcements/2016/0617-scam-alert
Looking to make your next career move? Randstad is one of the world’s largest recruitment and HR services providers, and our Singapore office has more than 20 years' experience placing high-calibre mid to senior level professionals in companies across multiple industries. Start your job search with us today.