CONTACTS: +254 726879488 (Mobile)
+254770 455 116 (Office)
Nearly Half of Job Seekers Fall for Scams – And Women May Be Targeted Differently
Women favoring remote work reported lower scam rates (40% victims) compared to those preferring in-office roles, who faced the highest rates.
Job scams are casting a shadow over the 2025 job market, with 41% of job seekers mistakenly applying to fraudulent postings, according to Huntr’s Job Search Trends – Q1 2025 report.
Drawing from a 600-respondent survey, the report reveals that women are more likely to report falling for scams, and the emotional toll is hitting unemployed candidates hardest.
Of the 608 job seekers surveyed, 250 (41%) admitted to applying to a job scam, while 358 said they had not. Women reported a higher incidence, with 42% acknowledging they applied to fraudulent jobs compared to 34.6% of men.
“This difference may reflect greater openness among women rather than actual scam exposure,” reads the report.
The data suggests job preferences play a role. Women favoring remote work reported lower scam rates (40% victims) compared to those preferring in-office roles, who faced the highest rates.
“Scammers may target in-office or hybrid postings, which often promise attractive benefits to lure candidates,”
The emotional impact is stark. Among those who fell for scams, 40.8% reported feeling “exhausted” in their job search, compounding the stress of seeking employment.
Unemployed candidates were more likely to be victims than those employed full-time, possibly due to heightened vulnerability.
“The emotional strain of unemployment may cloud judgment, making ‘too good to be true’ offers harder to spot,” the report notes.
Geographically, 43.95% of U.S. job seekers reported applying to scams, compared to 36.11% of Canadians, though the smaller Canadian sample size suggests this is a directional trend.
Salary expectations also differ: scam victims typically aimed for mid-range salaries, while non-victims targeted higher, near-six-figure roles.
“Experience may sharpen scam detection, as seasoned professionals seem better at spotting red flags,” reads the report.
With scams on the rise, job seekers are urged to verify postings through trusted platforms like Government Jobs or Wellfound, which offer higher callback rates than LinkedIn’s 2.33%.
As the job market grows more competitive, staying vigilant is critical to avoid falling prey to fraud.
Full report at huntr.co.