If it wasn’t hard enough getting a job with high unemployment, dodgy recruiters advertising false jobs or jobs in which they already know the successful internal candidate, we also have crooks who are after your money.

Jobs and employment scams trick you into handing over your money by offering a ‘guaranteed’ way to make fast money or a high-paying job for little effort.

How does this scam work? The scammer contacts you by email, letter or phone and offers you a job that requires little effort for high returns, or a guaranteed way to make money quickly.

Beware – there are plenty of false job opportunities on mainstream and classified ad websites.

The job on offer may require you to do something simple such as stuffing envelopes or assembling a product using materials that you have to buy from the ‘employer’.

To accept the job you will be asked to pay for a starter kit or materials relevant to the job or scheme.

If you pay the fee you may not receive anything or what you do receive is not what you expected or were promised.

For example, instead of a ‘business plan’, you may be sent instructions for how to get other people to join the same scheme.

On completion of your work, the scammer will refuse to pay you for some or all of your work, using excuses such as the work not being up to the required standard.

Another type of job opportunity scam asks you to use your bank account to receive and pass on payments for a foreign company.

The scammers promise you a percentage commission for each payment you pass on. This is likely to be money laundering which is a criminal offence.

If you provide your account details the scammer may use them to steal your money or commit other fraudulent activities.

Know of a scam? Report it here: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam