Jobstreet flags sharp rise in APAC employment fraud as PH emerges as major target

Jobstreet by SEEK has released new insights into the scale and sophistication of employment fraud across Asia-Pacific, revealing that the Philippines has become the second-most targeted market for job scams in the region. The findings were published in recognition of International Fraud Awareness Week and draw on internal fraud-detection data from July 2024 to June 2025 across SEEK’s platforms, including Jobstreet and Jobsdb.

According to SEEK, the Philippines now accounts for 20% of all attempted employment fraud in APAC, second only to Indonesia, which represents 38% of regional attempts and 62% of fraud detected in Asian markets. The platform’s analysis highlights how scammers are altering their methods to exploit local labour dynamics and economic pressures.

SEEK observed clear differences between fraud patterns in Australia and New Zealand compared with its six Asian markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Across Asia, administration and office support roles remain the most frequently targeted category, representing 29% of fraudulent job ads. Manufacturing, transport and logistics roles follow at 16%, while sales positions continue to attract significant fraudulent activity across the region.

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In the Philippines, the industries most targeted include accounting, sales, healthcare and medical, administration and office support, manufacturing, transportation and logistics.

“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 and safety. “Sales positions show similar patterns, as these roles often promise immediate employment and commission-based earnings that appeal to job seekers 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.”

As the leading employment marketplace in the Philippines, Jobstreet by SEEK continues to strengthen its controls to prevent exploitative recruitment and modern slavery. The company’s trust and safety team conducts rigorous hirer checks and screens all job postings using automated and manual moderation systems. Candidates are also equipped with reporting tools to flag suspicious listings.

Across APAC, SEEK scanned 4.3 million job ads over the period, with 8% escalated for manual review. These interventions prevented about 3,600 hirers who failed onboarding checks from entering the platform, led to the closure of 650 hirer accounts for fraud or high-risk behaviour, and resulted in the removal of nearly 2,800 unsafe ads. Job seekers reported around 22,000 suspicious postings, each of which was reviewed by SEEK’s trust and safety team.

SEEK reports a rise in AI-assisted scams, including the use of synthetic identities, AI-generated documents and impersonation attempts involving SEEK and Jobstreet branding. Scammers have increasingly used SMS, messaging apps and social platforms to reach candidates - with Viber among the most commonly exploited channels in the Philippines.

To counter these threats, Jobstreet by SEEK is enhancing its automated blocking tools, improving hirer verification mechanisms and collaborating with government and industry groups to strengthen ecosystem-wide protection. Through its security and privacy Hub, the company is also educating job seekers about safe job-searching practices and warning signs of fraudulent recruitment.

“Jobstreet by SEEK is committed to creating a safe and trusted employment marketplace. That is why we encourage all hirers and job seekers to use legitimate job platforms to ensure that every connection leads to real opportunities,” said Dannah Majaracon, managing director of Jobstreet by SEEK in the Philippines.

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