Criminals are advertising 'side-hustle' jobs in a deceptive attempt to scam vulnerable local and international university students into doing their dirty work.
The AFP anticipates criminal networks will use the start of the new university year to target students through online job ads offering quick and easy money for tasks that seem legitimate on the surface, but are ultimately illicit.
These jobs may seem harmless however, the consequences can be catastrophic for victims. Criminals are either manipulating victims to launder illicit funds for them or stealing victims' identities, scamming them and leaving them out of pocket.
One of the most common job scams involves students being unknowingly recruited as 'money mules', where criminal networks deposit illicit funds into the student's bank account and direct them to transfer the money elsewhere to earn a commission.
Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment in Australia.
The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) has identified criminal networks offering international students an average 'salary' of about $1000 per month plus commission for employment scams.
Most of the targets are financially vulnerable, looking for part-time or casual employment, speak English as a second language, and have limited knowledge of Australian laws.
This has prompted the AFP-led JPC3 to join forces with the Australian banks embedded within the JPC3 and warn foreign students of deceptive job advertisements and the dangers of unsuspected money laundering.
AFP Commander of Cybercrime Operations Graeme Marshall said the AFP was urging local and international students returning or arriving into Australia to be cautious of fake job advertisements.
"Fake job scams can pose devastating consequences for victims, such as visa cancellations and imprisonment," Cmdr Marshall said.
"Imagine moving to another country to build your career and future, only to have it all taken away because you were scammed by criminals to help them move their dirty money around."
ANZ Head of Financial Crime Threat Management, Milan Gigovic said ANZ was committed to protecting its customers and the integrity of the financial system.
"We recognise the serious risks money mule accounts pose and are committed to actively combating this threat," Mr Gigovic said.
"That's why we've designed and built dynamic algorithms specifically targeting mule activity and are collaborating with our banking peers, and other public and private partnerships, which include the AFP's JPC3 team, to investigate, report, and shut down these accounts. Through these proactive steps, we can help to track down criminals and ensure they're held accountable."
CommBank General Manager of Group Fraud, James Roberts said education was a vital tool in preventing scams, and it was important university students took the time to educate themselves on how to identify and avoid scams
"If something sounds too good to be true, it often is," Mr Roberts said.
"At CBA, we have seen customer scam losses reduce by 70 per cent over the last two years. Protecting Australians requires ongoing collaboration across industries, and we believe education is critical in keeping our communities safe and making Australia less attractive to scammers."
Westpac Head of Fraud Prevention, Ben Young said stopping scams was a top priority, and it was frustrating to see scammers target unsuspecting Australians.
"I urge everyone to stay vigilant. When it comes to mule accounts, whether criminals have fraudulently accessed an account or tricked an unsuspecting customer into getting involved, we are focused on identifying, investigating and shutting down these illegitimate accounts to prevent further harm," Mr Young said.
NAB Head of Financial Crime Investigations Georgia Brookes said too often they saw criminals targeting customers on social media or messaging platforms to open, rent or buy a bank account or manipulate them into being an unsuspecting money mule by moving money through their bank accounts.
"We need everyone to be alert to the red flags of scams. It's illegal to rent, buy or sell a bank account," Ms Brookes said.
"Be alert to any job where you are offered a commission for transferring funds through your own account. When a mule account is detected, we take action and freeze accounts.
"By working together we can make Australia a much tougher place for criminals to be successful. Besides 'money mule' scams, students may be targeted by jobs advertised as mostly 'side-hustle' gigs that require little work and no experience, such as liking social media posts or reviewing products, for reasonable payment."
Scammers will sometime ask victims to 'invest' their own money first, and say they'll get it back once they start work, plus a lucrative commission. Victims will be paid very little for completing the tasks and asked to invest more money for higher commissions.
Criminals will deceive victims into paying for additional job training, equipment, or registration fees via bank transfer or cryptocurrency, and pocket the upfront funds instead.
They may also request victims' personal information - such as bank details, tax file numbers, and passports - under the guise of a job application and steal their identities to open bank accounts in the students' names.
Criminal networks advertise these quick cash jobs by pretending to be a legitimate company or recruiter on online platforms including social media, gaming sites and messaging platforms.
Another deceptive recruitment tactic involves criminal groups paying other students to directly approach and recruit their peers on campus.
Commander Graeme Marshall said these job scams were malicious schemes targeted to local and international students already facing difficult financial situations.
"If you are applying for work in Australia, no job offer should require payment from you before you are hired. If there's no interview process, the job description seems vague, or you are offered money to move funds around, walk away.
"Remember, if you are coming to Australia for tertiary studies, this is your future - don't let criminals steal it away from you."
Protect yourself from job scams
- Research the legitimacy of job offers by contacting companies directly using official contact information.
- Be cautious of jobs with vague responsibilities or unrealistic salaries.
- Don't share banking and personal details with anyone you don't know or trust.
- Legitimate employers never ask for money upfront.
- Don't engage with online posts offering large sums of money.
- If someone asks to use or 'borrow' your bank account, say 'no.'
- If you suspect something is not right, reject the offer.
What to do if you're a victim
- Stop all communication with the scammer.
- Contact your financial institution if you have transferred money or suspect unusual account activity.
- Report it to police at www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report
- Report suspected scams to ScamWatch to help others avoid similar scams.
- If you were contacted via social media, report it to the social media platform.
- Use strong, unique passphrases on your accounts and enable Multi-Factor Authentication wherever possible.
- If you are concerned your identity has been compromised, contact the national identity and cyber support service, IDCARE.
- If you, or someone you know needs help, we encourage you to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, who provide 24/7 support services.
The JPC3 brings together Australian law enforcement and key industry and international partners to fight cybercrime and prevent harm and financial loss to the Australian community.
We are committed to equipping all Australians with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves against cybercrime.
Watch our cybercrime prevention videos and protect yourself from being a victim of cybercrime.
If there is an immediate threat to life or risk of harm, call 000.
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