The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has warned that criminals are targeting local and international university students with fake ‘side-hustle’ job ads, tricking them into laundering money or handing over their identities.
As the new university year begins, the AFP anticipates a rise in deceptive online job advertisements offering easy money for seemingly legitimate tasks. However, these scams often have devastating consequences, including financial loss, identity theft, and even criminal charges.
One of the most common scams involves criminals recruiting students as ‘money mules.’ In this scheme, illicit funds are deposited into a student’s bank account, and they are directed to transfer the money elsewhere in exchange for a commission. Unwittingly, these students become involved in money laundering—a serious criminal offence carrying penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment in Australia.
AFP Commander of Cybercrime Operations Graeme Marshall urged students to be vigilant.
“Fake job scams can pose devastating consequences for victims, such as visa cancellations and imprisonment,” he 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.”
The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) has identified criminal networks offering international students an average of $1,000 per month plus commission for these employment scams. The most vulnerable are financially struggling students, particularly those with limited knowledge of Australian laws or English as a second language.
ANZ’s Head of Financial Crime Threat Management, Milan Gigovic, said banks were actively working to detect and shut down these fraudulent activities.
“We recognise the serious risks money mule accounts pose and are committed to actively combating this threat,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve designed dynamic algorithms targeting mule activity and are collaborating with our banking peers and public-private partnerships, including the AFP’s JPC3 team, to investigate, report, and shut down these accounts.”
CommBank General Manager of Group Fraud, James Roberts, emphasised that education is key to preventing scams.
“If something sounds too good to be true, it often is,” he warned.
“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’s Head of Fraud Prevention, Ben Young, echoed these concerns, urging students to remain alert.
“I urge everyone to stay vigilant,” he said.
“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.”
Scammers also use deceptive tactics, such as advertising ‘side-hustle’ gigs requiring minimal effort, like liking social media posts or reviewing products. In some cases, victims are asked to invest their own money first, with promises of higher commissions later—only to be left empty-handed.
Another recruitment tactic involves criminals posing as legitimate companies or recruiters on social media, gaming sites, and messaging platforms. Some even pay students to recruit their peers on campus.
“If you are applying for work in Australia, no job offer should require payment from you before you are hired,” Cmdr Marshall warned.
“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.”
How to protect yourself from job scams:
- Research job offers by contacting companies directly using official contact details.
- Be cautious of vague job descriptions and unrealistic salaries.
- Never share banking or personal details with unknown individuals.
- Legitimate employers never ask for upfront payments.
- Avoid job offers promising large sums for minimal work.
- Never allow someone to use or ‘borrow’ your bank account.
- Trust your instincts—if something feels off, reject the offer.
What to do if you’ve been scammed:
- Cease all communication with the scammer.
- Contact your bank immediately if you’ve transferred money or notice unusual account activity.
- Report scams to police at www.cyber.gov.au and ScamWatch.
- Report fraudulent social media job ads to the platform.
- Strengthen account security by using strong passphrases and enabling multi-factor authentication.
- If your identity has been compromised, contact IDCARE for support.
- If you need help, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) for 24/7 support services.
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