The first big challenge after graduating from university is finding a job. It is a drastic shift in one’s life. You are introducing yourself as a student for almost 16 years of your life and now as an unemployed person you can only awkwardly say you are “looking for a job” or “planning to start master’s”. This transition is not easy but full of uncertainly, constant pressure and trauma.

Nowadays, a new trend has been added to this stressful phase and that is fraudulent job circulars.

These fake job advertisements are not new. They have existed for decades and not just in Bangladesh but all over the world. What has changed is their medium. Before, these scams used to appear as occasional advertisements in newspapers or posters on street walls. Today, as social media is one of the primary platforms for job searchers, scammers have also started to use it.

They create fake but real looking Facebook pages, websites and post professional looking job circulars with lucrative offers. You will sometimes even be called for interviews only to waste your time and commuting money. Then they demand some registration fee or training charge, only to disappear with your money afterwards.

A recent example that has gone viral on social media which was the case of Fly Far International. An online travel agency that reportedly vanished after taking large advance payments from the customers. Social media soon filled with posts from job candidates describing their interview experience with the company like making them wait for long hours and receiving no updates. The pattern of these fake circulars is very clear. Offering attractive jobs, promising remote work and excellent benefit and then, exploiting hopeful applicants.

What makes this situation even worse is the length scammers go to appear legitimate. Some fraud groups even use the names and logos of renowned companies. Biman Bangladesh Airlines had to issue a public notice saying, “there is no such post of a Passport Checker in Biman Bangladesh Airlines,” after scammers circulated such fake job circulars using their official branding.

Law enforcement also continues to uncover the scale of this issue on a regular basis. According to a repost by the Daily Observer, RAB-4 arrested 11 swindlers in Mirpur and Ashulia with 275 recruitment notification forms, 200 admission forms, 140 fake appointment letters and hundreds of resumes. You can understand this is not just any small scam. Rather, it is a well-coordinated industry built to exploit young professionals and freshers.

However, they are not the only victims; housewives who seek flexible, home-based income are also frequently targeted by these people. With catchy headlines like “easy online work”, “earn money from home” they are looting innocent women by asking for only a small registration fee like Tk200-300. It may seem like a small amount but imagine collecting this much from 15 to 20 people every month. The money adds up quickly and is quite profitable for these fraudsters.

Additionally, these scams to not just steal money; they steal time, personal information and job seekers trust as well. Many fake job companies collect detailed data from applicants such as CVs, phone number, addresses and misuse them for surveys, data selling and other unethical purposes.

These fraudulent circulars make the already stressful search for job even harder. This is why caution is more important than ever. Double checking is not enough, we need to triple check every job offer and verify their legitimacy.

Awareness, vigilance and open conversation about these scams are needed to protect ourselves from becoming the next victim.