Job scams are very real and becoming increasingly prevalent across Australia and New Zealand. Engaging with fake recruiters and vacancies can expose you and your personal information making you vulnerable. We've put together some simple tips and tricks on how you can protect yourself and your identity online when searching for your dream job.

Scammers advertise jobs the same way legitimate employers do — online. This can be in ads, on job sites & social media (particularly on Facebook community pages) They promise you a job, but in reality, what they want is your money and your personal information. 

There are many precautionary steps you can take to ensure the safety of your personal information and to determine whether it is a legitimate opportunity or not:

First and foremost do an online search. Look up the name of the company and the person you are talking to - check the company website and LinkedIn page that the person does in fact work for that business and that their email address/phone number matches that of who is contacting you.

Be vigilant - Closely examine the messages you receive and check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Are messages and calls received inside or outside of usual office hours? This can indicate that the person you are talking to is operating from a foreign country or is in a different time zone, making them more likely to send messages at inappropriate hours.

If you are being contacted over WhatsApp check the number sending the messages - it should have the correct country code NZ (+64) / AU (+61) If the number changes frequently 

this can suggest illegitimacy. RWR will construction will not use Whats App or Facebook Messenger to message you about a job opportunity.

Put a face to the name - any reputable recruiter will want to meet via face-to-face or video chat before progressing to an offer - if the person you are messaging doesn't include this as part of their ‘recruitment process’ or refuses to do this, it can be a warning sign. 

Requesting payment or investment up front - this includes paying for things like equipment starter kits or asking to make purchases on behalf of the company that you will be reimbursed for later. Legitimate employers will never ask you to pay to get a job. 

RWR Construction as part of RWR Group has proudly operated in Australia and New Zealand for 23 years, we pride ourselves on delivering a high level of personalised service. We will never ask a job seeker for payment in relation to a job opportunity. 

If you think you have provided your personal information such as tax or IRD number, bank account details, Medicare or provided payment to an ‘employer’ to work then we highly recommend you contact your bank immediately and report the scam via Cert NZ or Australian Cyber Security Centre.