Job Scams on the Rise in Vietnam

Research from Reeracoen Vietnam finds 78% of job seekers express diminished trust in recruitment platforms and channels because of fraudulent job ads.

By Maggie Mancini

A recent survey from Reeracoen Vietnam, in collaboration with Rakuten Insight, reveals a concerning trend for job seekers in Vietnam: Seven in 10 have encountered job scams, highlighting major gaps in the country’s fast-growing digital hiring ecosystem. Approximately 69% of respondents report encountering scam job offers, with nearly half saying they have been targeted more than once. Consequently, 78% of job seekers express diminished trust in recruitment platforms and channels, revealing the toll that fraudulent activity is taking on Vietnam’s digital labour market.  

These results shed light on a growing safety gap in tandem with Vietnam’s burgeoning digital economy, which is projected to contribute over 20% to national GDP within the next year. Digital platforms like job portals, social networks, and messaging apps are primary job search avenues that have become fertile ground for scams. In 2024, the Ministry of Public Security reported $744 million in scam-related losses, with job fraud among the fastest-rising categories. 

Key red flags identified by job seekers include:  

• upfront payment requests; 
• unrealistic salary and benefit promises; 
• requests for personal or banking information; and 
• listings with no official company information.  

Job seekers expect more safeguards to be implemented to protect against scams, including verified employer badges, stricter ad screening using AI and human review, real-time scam reporting tools, and platform collaboration with government authorities.  

While 67% of respondents would be willing to pay for premium anti-scam features, most believe basic protections such as scam detection and employer verification should be standard and accessible to all.