SINGAPORE — Around 70 per cent of the victims of job scams reported between 2019 and 2021 are younger adults aged between 20 and 39, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan on Thursday (March 3).
Responding in Parliament to a question filed by Yio Chu Kang Member of Parliament Yip Hon Weng, Mr Tan said that in that timeframe, a total of 4,722 job scam cases were reported, out of which about 2 per cent of the victims are aged 60 and above — far less than the proportion of younger adults scammed.
“This is not surprising, given that this (younger) group is more likely to be searching for jobs and are also more willing to try online or remote work,” said Mr Tan.
Such scams work by targeting the victims’ interest in easy work-from-home settings, such as to generate “hype” on e-commerce platforms or on social media, he added.
Many scammers have also created professional applications with reference to such listings and social media posts to make them seem more legitimate.
Victims will be asked to download these apps, transfer funds to open accounts, and purchase items or click on posts to generate views, with the promise that they would receive commissions.
Victims only realise they have been duped when they do not receive their commissions or are unable to withdraw their funds.
Mr Tan said that to address this scourge and prevent people from falling prey to such scams, public education is key. Enforcement efforts by the authorities have also…
