Significant increase in online job-seeking scams
發佈日期: 2025-07-15 20:34
TVB News
Police have reported a 92.1 percent year-on-year increase in online job-seeking scams during the first five months of this year.
Some scammers lure victims into messaging app groups by promising rewards for completing "tasks" online, only to swindle them out of their money. The largest single case involved losses of over 6 million dollars.
A 50-year-old housewife surnamed Chan was added to a so-called "online job-seeking" WhatsApp group by strangers late last year.
She was told she could earn 50 dollars per task by searching for products on a supermarket website, taking pictures and generating online flow.
With over 30 tasks on average per day, she might earn over 1,000 dollars. But within weeks, Ms. Chan lost her entire life savings of 2.6 million dollars.
Ms. Chan said she thought the supermarket brands are "trustworthy."
Once she had a doubt, the scammers would reassure her that completing tasks would guarantee payment. Chan could receive small payouts at first, but why did she end up paying instead?
Police clinical psychologist Woo Chin-pang said after withdrawing 2,000 dollars twice, customer service staff in the group immediately told Chan that she had violated platform rules and demanded fines and platform repair fees.
Superintendent of Police Cyber Security Division Hui Yee-wai said other people in the group piled pressures on victims by stirring up complaints.
Victims felt obliged to solve problems under group coercion, paying thousands to even hundreds of thousands.
Scammers also impersonated travel sites like Trip.com and Agoda to form similar groups in Telegram. Similar "tasks" include fake review and social media engagement advertised as "no experience needed."
The largest money loss was 6.2 million dollars from a 51-year-old man after encountering fake e-commerce scammers on Facebook.
There was also a woman in her 20s who was defrauded of more than 2 million dollars in a single day.
Some involved claimed they would exit the group after withdrawing small profits.
However, the police warn this may implicate them in money laundering. The police remind the public to use trustworthy platforms when looking for jobs, as legitimate employers will never request upfront payments.
Citizens can use the "Scameter" app to identify suspicious or fraudulent websites or phone numbers.
