The Philippines has emerged as the second most targeted country for employment scams in the Asia-Pacific region, according to alarming new data released by Seek, the parent company of Jobstreet and Jobsdb.
Philippines Among Top Targets for Job Scammers
During International Fraud Awareness Week, Seek revealed that the Philippines accounts for 20 percent of all fraud attempts across Asia-Pacific job markets. This places the country second only to Indonesia, which leads the region with 38 percent of fraudulent activities.
The comprehensive analysis, covering the period from July 2024 to June 2025, examined Seek's internal fraud-detection data across its APAC platforms. The study identified distinct regional patterns, with scammers employing sophisticated targeting strategies that vary between Australia-New Zealand markets and six Asian countries including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Most Vulnerable Job Categories in Philippines
According to the report, certain industries in the Philippines face significantly higher risks of employment fraud. The most frequently targeted sectors include Accounting, Sales, Healthcare and Medical, Administration and Office Support, Manufacturing, Transportation, and Logistics.
Across the broader Asia-Pacific region, Administration and Office Support roles remain the primary target for scammers, representing 29 percent of fraudulent job advertisements. Manufacturing, Transport, and Logistics positions follow with 16 percent of fraud attempts, while Sales roles also feature prominently among scam targets.
"Administration and office support roles are particularly vulnerable because they typically don't require specialised degrees or extensive experience," explained Tom Rhind, Seek's Head of Trust & Safety. "Sales positions show similar patterns, as these roles often promise immediate employment and commission-based earnings that appeal to job seekers in urgent need of income."
Comprehensive Protection Measures Implemented
As the leading employment marketplace in the Philippines, Jobstreet by Seek has implemented robust controls to prevent exploitative recruitment practices and protect job seekers. The platform's Trust & Safety team conducts detailed verification checks to ensure hirers are legitimate, while both automated systems and manual content moderation screen all job advertisements.
The protection measures have yielded significant results: all 4.3 million APAC job ads are scanned, with eight percent escalated for manual review. This rigorous process prevented approximately 3,600 questionable hirers from accessing Seek's platforms, led to the closure of 650 hirer accounts for fraud or high-risk behavior, and resulted in the removal of nearly 2,800 risky advertisements.
Job seekers have also played a crucial role in combating fraud, with candidates reporting roughly 22,000 suspicious ads, all of which were thoroughly reviewed by Seek's Trust & Safety team.
Evolving Scam Tactics and Countermeasures
Scammers are increasingly adopting more sophisticated methods, including using artificial intelligence to create convincing fraudulent schemes. They've also been impersonating Seek and Jobstreet representatives, contacting potential victims through SMS, messaging apps, and social media platforms. In the Philippines, Viber has become one of the most common platforms used by scammers.
To combat these evolving threats, Jobstreet by Seek continues to enhance its fraud detection capabilities through automated blocking systems, improved verification processes, and collaboration with government agencies and industry partners. The platform also educates candidates about scams, unfair hiring practices, and online protection through its Security & Privacy Hub.
"Jobstreet by Seek is committed to creating a safe and trusted employment marketplace. That is why we encourage all hirers and job seekers to use legitimate job platforms to ensure that every connection leads to real opportunities," emphasized Dannah Majaracon, Jobstreet by Seek Managing Director in the Philippines.
The platform continues to provide resources and information to help Filipino job seekers navigate the employment landscape safely while avoiding increasingly sophisticated scam attempts.
