Looking for a job is hard enough, but for many young Australians, it’s becoming even more stressful. Instead of finding legitimate work, more and more young people are falling victim to job scams that can cost them thousands of dollars. It\u2019s not just a few isolated cases; this has become a widespread issue, and scam networks are getting smarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take Manish Bholan, for example. The 23-year-old moved to Perth from Nepal just six months ago, eager to start a new life and find stable work. He found a cleaning job advertised on a local Facebook group and thought he\u2019d struck gold. But after responding to the ad, things quickly went downhill. He was asked to pay a $345 fee for “form processing<\/em>” and then another $450 for “work clothing.<\/em>” That\u2019s when he realized he\u2019d been scammed, reports ABC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, Manish\u2019s story is all too common. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC<\/a>), the number of reported job scams targeting people aged 24 and under has soared. In 2025, there were 837 reports, up from 361 the previous year. It\u2019s a worrying trend that shows no sign of slowing down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n