New Zealand sees 'progressive upward trend' in scams involving fake work from home jobs
Losses involving fake "work from home" job advertisements totalled nearly $80,000 in June, as such scams saw a "progressive upward trend" in New Zealand, according to Netsafe.
The online safety organisation revealed that reports of these scams increased from just two in April, to three in May, and six in June.
"While these numbers look to be low, it is the progressive upward trend and significant increase in the amount of money being lost that is most concerning," said Alex Yi, Netsafe's digital harm services manager.
Netsafe revealed that total losses from fake "work from home" job ads reached $78,500 in June.
This follows a sharp increase in reports during the month, with one report every five days and an average loss of over $13,000.
This frequency is higher than the one report every 10 days in May, with an average loss of over $500, and well above the one report every 15 days in April, with an average loss of $300, according to Netsafe.
'Work from home' job scams
These WFH job scams involve deceiving people into sending their money to scammers who lie to them about being reimbursed and paid, according to Netsafe.
The scam begins with a fake job posting on social media. A victim applies, is hired, and receives induction and training, during which they are shown how to post online reviews of products and services.
However, these products and services are fake, and the victim is tricked into buying them with their own money before they can post a review, under the false promise that they will eventually be reimbursed and paid additional money on top.
"The money spent on purchasing these products is what the scammer is trying to obtain – it goes directly to the scammer. The employee is not paid at all and not reimbursed for the expenses," Netsafe explained.
Yi urged the public to be cautious of any financial opportunities in online spaces that do not require verification, such as social media.
He advised them to ask for a contact number before sharing sensitive information or undertaking any work, and to avoid spending money in these cases.
"The main message is don't send money in these situations, or spend your own money on anything, regardless of what they claim," Yi said.
