A total of 4,722 job scams were reported in Singapore from 2019 to 2021; and this number rose to 5,737 just in the first half of 2023. As the economy recovers from the pandemic, more job seekers are entering the labor market, and the number of those looking to take advantage is also on the rise, with job scams making up 21.3% of all crime in Singapore in 2023.
Now more than ever, it’s important to educate and protect yourself in order to avoid job scams. Below is a list of the most common job scams encountered by job seekers in Singapore, along with ways to avoid them and prevent yourself from being victimized.
Popular Job Scams In Singapore & What To Do
Unsolicited job offers
How often do you get a call from a company after applying for a job? The numbers aren’t great, and it’s even rarer to receive not just a call but an offer from a company you’ve never heard of nor applied for a job before.
One of the most popular job scams Singapore is plagued with these days comes in the form of “recruiters” calling to proposition jobs. If someone contacts you, claims to have gotten your contact in a reputable job portal and not only asks for personal information but offers you a job without a clue about your credentials whatsoever, nine times out of ten, it’s a scam. Don’t engage further and cut off ties.
Listed on reputable job portals
It’s easy to make up a company and pay for job listings on reputable job portals. It’s even easier to pretend to be a reputable company and recruit people through job scams.
Fake job listings are one of the most common job scams out there, claiming to provide excellent working conditions and benefits. As a rule of thumb, always research a company before applying to job posts, especially when the job seems too good to be true because likely, it is and someone is trying to scam you.
What does “too good to be true” mean? – Unusually high pay, schedule that’s too flexible, vague job description and requirements, promises of quick returns or high earnings, unprofessional recruiter, the company’s contact cannot be reached.
Giving initial payout
It’s difficult enough getting hired for a job that pays you enough, much less one that pays you before you even get to work. One of the hooks used by scammers to get applicants to fall for job scams is to gain their trust by giving some money in the beginning. They usually do this by asking you to provide personal information and bank details in “secure” websites, which are used to cheat people out of their money.
How to identify jobs scams like this is easily done by verifying the company you’re applying with – does the company actually exist? If it does, is the job you’re applying for actually listed on their website? If it doesn’t, someone could be masquerading as that company.
Another way to check is to do a quick google search of the job position; if several results show exact job postings in multiple cities, it’s likely a scam.
Lastly, never give our personal information, much less bank details to any recruiter or company you’re applying to. That is not standard recruitment procedure, and should be avoided at all costs.
Amazing benefits & pay
As sad as it sounds, finding a dream job that has it all in this economy just doesn’t exist. When a job offers benefits and pay that are way beyond the industry standard, there’s usually a catch, and that likely means someone is trying to scam you.
These types of job scams typically come in the form of jobs that are unusually easy and incredibly disproportionate to the pay it promises. They’re usually marketed as writing reviews online, working for very little, and a very good side hustle; essentially, it’s huge money for little to no effort. That is a scam and it’s circulating widely these days.
Community that shares their earnings
Some job scams are one-offs, but some are more insidious, working in communities that aim to build trust, only to take advantage later on. A good example is recruiters luring in job applicants into private chats, forums, or social media groups to show that many people are earning so and so amount of money from that job.
As social creatures, we’re likely to trust a job if others seem to be doing well in it. However, don’t be fooled. There’s a high chance that the people showing off their “earnings” are in it with the person who pulled you in, and they’re all putting on a show to get you.
No experience needed
Similar to the amazing benefits and pay, another bait commonly used by scammers is offering high-paying jobs without any need for experience. While there are certainly starter positions hiring people with no experience, they’re unlikely to offer pay that’s seen in mid-high or even C-level positions.
It’s so easy to get tempted, especially when you’re a fresh graduate trying to land your first job. That’s how they get you – by preying on inexperience. If you encounter something like this, as always, do your research. Does the job really offer that much? Is the going rate for the role in that industry reasonable? Is the job actually listed in the company’s careers page? If you answered no to any of these, beware.
It’s difficult finding a job. But with job scams preying on applicants left and right, it makes the job search much more tedious and demotivating. That’s why it’s never been more important to use reputable job boards like Bossjob, which not only lets you search and apply for jobs, but even lets you talk to a “boss” or employer directly. The employer’s professionalism, how they answer questions, and their description of the job can give you signs on the legitimacy of the job, so you know if you’re applying for an actual job or getting scammed.
Interested to see the different types of job scams we’ve personally encountered on the Bossjob? We’ve put together a guide to identifying illegal job scams, based on actual scenarios!
