Text scammers target jobseekers and children in WhatsApp trends now

Scammers have targeted jobseekers and children of aging parents in a new spate of  text messages aimed at cheating vulnerable Australians out of their hard-earned cash. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned that people looking for work to beware of a fresh wave of scam messages circulating via social media - including on popular chat site WhatsApp - claiming to offer unusually high rates of pay for minimal work.

One of the messages purports to be a website provider running a service to increase sales and invites recipients to be a partner in the business, for which they 'can earn between A$200-500 AO' for just one hour's work a day. 

Another claims a role with their supposed company can 'be done without affecting your current job, earn up to $300-$500 per day'.

Delia Rickard, deputy chair of the ACCC, says any offer that sounds too good to be true, is typically not what it appears to be. 

'What [recipients] need to do is make bookings at a hotel or buy goods from the store, and are told they'll be paid back and get a commission,' she told 7News.

'If they look at their app they'll see the money they're making go up and up.'

Such scams have resulted in victims having their personal information stolen and facing the dreaded possibility of having their bank accounts drained.

The ACCC said 3194 job scams were reported in 2022 and Australians lost a whopping $8.7million. 

Australians aged 25 to 44 reported the biggest

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