Employment scams

It's important for new international students in Victoria to be aware of employment scams and take necessary precautions while looking for work. These scams can mislead you about the availability, nature, and terms or conditions of employment, and can cause financial loss and legal issues.

To avoid employment scams, you should research the company before applying for a job and be wary of any job ads that sound too good to be true. Don't provide any personal or financial information unless you're sure the job offer is legitimate. You can also seek advice from the International Student Support team at your institution or the Australian Government's Fair Work Ombudsman.

Remember, if something seems suspicious or doesn't feel right, it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't hesitate to ask questions and seek help to protect yourself from employment scams.

Ads can be misleading because:

• they don’t have enough information; or
• they are written to deliberately mislead you, because they want to hide from you what the job really is; or to make you think there’s a job when there isn’t.
• misleading job and business opportunity ads are unlawful under the Australian Consumer Law. They should be reported to the relevant authorities:

You should always find out more information from the employer. For example, you should find out about:

• the employment status (i.e. would you be a permanent/casual/fixed term employee? Will your hours be full time or part-time? Alternatively, will you be an independent contractor?)
• what type of work you would have to do (i.e. what are your duties)?
• if you would be covered by a Modern Award, Enterprise Agreement or an employment contract
• how much, when, and how you would be paid
• whether the gross pay includes or excludes superannuation
• where the employer operates from, etc.

You should receive direct answers to your questions. If the employer is avoiding answering any of these questions, then take this as a warning sign.

For more information read the JobWatch Fact Sheet.