We have recently been contacted by Victoria Police (Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit) to assist them with raising awareness of a number of fake backpacker job vacancies currently being used to scam backpackers looking for rural farm work.
The employer is going under the name Riverland Farmstay. The offender has created a fictional business profile. The farm and job vacancy does not exist. He has also used a similar site for a farmstay near Hamilton Vic that did not exist.
The advice from police is not to rely on email or phone communication alone when authenticating a potential employer.
Here’s some advice on how best to check that an employer is legit:
- Do a Google Earth search to check the farm or business location exists
- Google Search the business name and employers name. Most businesses will have an online reputation.
- Check their social media profiles for reviews and comments. Most businesses will have an active Facebook page.
- Request the business ABN and do a free ABN look up.
Here at the Backpacker Job Board, we endeavour to filter out any suspicious employers or fake vacancy ads. However, we cannot completely guarantee the authenticity and legitimacy of each employer. As such we encourage all backpackers to exercise caution and follow our guidelines on how best to stay safe when applying for a job online. Most importantly, do not share any personal documents or send funds online.
If you have any tips on how to check out an employer, apply for jobs online or just generally staying safe when looking for work, then please share them in the comments below.
