PHL among regional leaders in fraudulent job offers — report

PHILIPPINE JOBSEEKERS are among the most vulnerable to fraudulent job offers in the Asia-Pacific, according to online employment company Jobstreet by SEEK.

SEEK’s fraud detection systems ranked jobseekers in the Philippines as the second-largest target of false job offers in the region, accounting for 20% of job fraud attempts in the Asia-Pacific.

Indonesia accounted for 38% of all job fraud attempts in the region, it said.

Around 1.96 million Filipinos were jobless in September, equivalent to a 3.8% unemployment rate, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

SEEK noted that scammers targeted job offers in the Philippines for jobs in accounting, sales, healthcare and medical, administration and office support, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics.

Across the region, false job ads were most common in administration and support roles, accounting for 22% of fraudulent offers, as these typically do not require specialized degrees or experience, according to Tom Rhind, head of trust & safety at SEEK.

“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,” Mr. Rhind said.

Scammers have also been using artificial intelligence to create sophisticated job offers, it said.

Some also contact job candidates via messaging and social media platforms impersonating Jobstreet and SEEK personnel.

Jobstreet by SEEK said its measures against fraud focus on automated blocking, improved verification, and collaboration with government and industry partners.

The company added that it has been educating jobseekers on scams, unfair hiring practices, and online protection through its Security & Privacy Hub.

Job candidates in the region flagged 22,000 suspicious ads on Jobstreet by SEEK platforms, which have been reviewed by its Trust & Safety team.

“We encourage all hirers and job seekers to use legitimate job platforms to ensure that every connection leads to real opportunities,” Jobstreet by SEEK Managing Director in the Philippines Dannah Majaracon said.

Jobstreet by SEEK compiled its data from SEEK’s internal fraud-detection systems between July 2024 and June 2025 across its regional platforms, including Jobstreet and Jobsdb. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz