Jobstreet by SEEK flags rising APAC employment fraud

Jobstreet by SEEK has released new findings on employment fraud across the Asia-Pacific region, revealing how scammers are adjusting their methods to exploit local job markets and economic pressures.

The insights, published in line with International Fraud Awareness Week, show the Philippines as the second-most targeted country in APAC, accounting for 20 percent of all fraud attempts.

Indonesia remains the region’s top hotspot, representing 38 percent of APAC fraud attempts and 62 percent of fraud cases within Asian markets.

SEEK’s fraud detection systems identified distinct patterns between July 2024 and June 2025, with scammers tailoring schemes differently across Australia, New Zealand, and six Asian markets where SEEK operates: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

The analysis is based on internal fraud-detection data across SEEK’s platforms, including Jobstreet and Jobsdb.

SEEK found that Administration and Office Support roles remain the most targeted category across Asia, representing 29 percent of fraudulent job ads.

Manufacturing, Transport, and Logistics roles made up 16 percent of fraud attempts, a trend linked to scammers exploiting workers seeking immediate employment.

Sales jobs across APAC also ranked among the most frequently targeted roles.

In the Philippines, scammers most commonly target job listings in Accounting, Sales, Healthcare and Medical, Administration and Office Support, Manufacturing, Transportation, and Logistics.

“Administration and office support roles are particularly vulnerable because they typically don’t require specialised degrees or extensive experience,” said Tom Rhind, SEEK’s head of trust and safety.

“Sales positions show similar patterns, as these roles often promise immediate employment and commission-based earnings that appeal to job seekers in urgent need of income,” he added.

He said both categories give scammers a wide pool of potential victims and allow them to create convincing-looking opportunities at scale.

As the country’s leading online employment marketplace, Jobstreet by SEEK implements strict hiring controls designed to prevent exploitative recruitment practices and modern slavery.

SEEK’s Trust & Safety team performs extensive checks to verify legitimate hirers, while automated and manual content moderation screens job postings.

Candidates are equipped with reporting tools to flag suspicious listings.

Across APAC, SEEK scanned 4.3 million job ads, with 8 percent escalated for manual review.

These checks prevented around 3,600 hirers who failed onboarding assessment from accessing SEEK platforms, closed 650 hirer accounts linked to fraud or high-risk behavior, and removed nearly 2,800 risky ads.

Candidates also reported roughly 22,000 suspicious postings, all reviewed by SEEK’s Trust & Safety team.

Scammers have also begun using artificial intelligence to make fraudulent schemes more sophisticated, with many impersonating SEEK and Jobstreet through SMS, messaging apps, and social media.

In the Philippines, Viber has emerged as one of the most commonly used platforms for these scams.

To counter evolving threats, Jobstreet by SEEK continues to enhance its fraud detection tools with automated blocking, stronger verification measures, and coordinated efforts with government and industry partners.

Through its Security & Privacy Hub, the platform also educates job seekers on common scam tactics, unfair hiring practices, safe job searching, and online protection.

“Jobstreet by SEEK is committed to creating a safe and trusted employment marketplace,” said Dannah Majaracon, Jobstreet by SEEK managing director in the Philippines.

“That is why we encourage all hirers and job seekers to use legitimate job platforms to ensure that every connection leads to real opportunities,” she said.

For more information on Jobstreet by SEEK’s anti-fraud initiatives, visit their official Facebook page @JobstreetPH or YouTube channel @JobStreetPhilippines.