Jobsdb by SEEK Reveals 24% of Job Scams Target Admin & Office Support, Predominantly Entry-Level Positions
- Written by Telegraph Magazine
Warns of AI-powered and Multi-channel Scams
Hong Kong's regulated market structure contributes to the lower fraudulent ad rate
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 November 2025 - In recognition of International Fraud Awareness Week, Jobsdb by SEEK released new insights into employment fraud trends across the operating markets, revealing how scammers adapt their tactics to exploit local job market conditions and economic needs. The analysis, based on internal fraud detection data from SEEK's platforms across its eight operating markets in APAC—Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines—reveals that Hong Kong's job market demonstrates a significantly lower incidence of fraudulent activity across these markets. From the data, the most fraudulent job ads are seen in entry‑level roles, with Hong Kong following a similar pattern.
Fraudulent messages often include phrases like 'part-time activities,' to attract individuals with promises of monetary rewards for simply 'checking in' or completing tasks.
Job Scams most targeted category: Administration & Office Support
The data shows that Administration & Office Support roles remain the primary target across all markets. In APAC markets, this category is the most targeted for job ads, accounting for 24% of the total, while Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics accounts for 13%.
Top 5 most targeted job ad categories by fraudsters (July 2024 – June 2025)
| Job category | APAC total |
| Administration & Office Support | 24% |
| Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | 13% |
| Sales | 7% |
| Retail & Consumer Products | 6% |
| Trades & Services | 6% |
"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 & Safety. "Sales positions show similar patterns, as these roles often promise immediate employment and commission-based earnings that appeal to jobseekers in urgent need of income. Combined, these entry-level categories create larger pools of potential victims and make it easier for scammers to cast wide nets with convincing-looking opportunities."
The analysis, based on fraud detection data from SEEK, found Hong Kong's fraud case rate stands at approximately 0.0035%, about 18 times lower compared to the APAC average of 0.067%. Bill Lee, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Jobsdb by SEEK, explained, "Hong Kong's unique market structure, which is highly regulated and dominated by large, registered corporations, provides a strong foundation for our security measures. This environment means fraudulent activity is more likely to stand out and be blocked before it ever reaches a jobseeker."
"While this contributes to a much lower fraud rate on our platform, no market is immune. We are seeing scammers adapt, using AI to write flawless copy and moving conversations to social media and instant messaging platforms," Lee continued. "This is why it is crucial for jobseekers to use trusted and verified platforms. Jobsdb's investment in world-class AI and a dedicated Trust & Safety team demonstrates our commitment to building a more secure and efficient marketplace. We aim to empower Hong Kong's talent by providing a trusted platform where they can connect with opportunities confidently."
Jobsdb's fair hiring controls in action
As Hong Kong's leading job platform, Jobsdb is deeply committed to providing a safe and trusted environment for all jobseekers. Leveraging the world-class technology and expertise of our parent company, SEEK, we are dedicated to eliminating unfair hiring practices. Our commitment begins with a robust first line of defence: a stringent hirer onboarding process where our dedicated Trust & Safety team conducts thorough verification to ensure all hirers on our platform are legitimate. This is followed by continuous content moderation; every job advertisement undergoes automated scanning, and any suspicious content is immediately escalated to specialist teams for manual review. The platform also empowers candidates through reporting tools to flag suspicious job advertisements directly.
These protection measures delivered notable results during SEEK's 2025 financial year, between July 2024 and June 2025. SEEK's systems scanned 100% of the 4.3 million job ads posted across APAC, with 8% escalated for manual review.
SEEK also prevented about 3,600 hirers who failed the onboarding process assessment from entering its platforms, closed about 650 hirer accounts due to fraud or high-risk behaviour, and removed nearly 2,800 high-risk job ads after investigation. Candidates also actively participated by reporting approximately 22,000 job ads for suspected fraud or scams, which were subsequently reviewed by SEEK's dedicated Trust & Safety team.
Jobsdb Fights Job Scams: No Sensitive Data Requests
Recently, scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create more sophisticated scams, as well as impersonating Jobsdb and contacting candidates through SMS, messaging apps and social media platforms. Jobsdb places the utmost importance on the privacy and security of jobseekers and employers. Jobsdb and our staff will never request passwords, bank account details, or any other sensitive information from jobseekers via phone, email, social media, or personal messaging platforms.
To combat these evolving threats, SEEK continuously enhances its fraud detection measures – including automated blocking systems and improved verification processes – and works closely with government and non-government bodies to facilitate knowledge and intelligence sharing.
As part of its commitment to candidate safety, SEEK provides ongoing education through its Security & Privacy Hub, which includes information on current scams, known unfair hiring practices, safe job searching advice and tips to protect themselves online.
Jobseekers can visit Security & Privacy Hub of Jobsdb at https://hk.jobsdb.com/security-hub, for more information. Jobsdb's official Phone Number/ WhatsApp account can be found at https://hk.jobsdb.com/page/jobsdb-official-whatsapp-account.
Click here for high resolution image.
- End –
Hashtag: #Jobsdb
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Jobsdb by SEEK
Jobsdb is the leading employment platform in Hong Kong and Thailand, helping people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and helping organisations succeed. It is a subsidiary of SEEK, a diverse group of companies comprised of a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and has a strong presence across the APAC region, including six Asian markets – Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand – through the Jobsdb and Jobstreet brands. SEEK attracts over 500 million visits a year in Asia.
