Job scam fears prompt 75% of Indians to ignore work opportunities: Report | Industry News
Ninety-three per cent of Indian employees and job seekers say they have come across suspicious or fraudulent job openings, while 51 per cent said they are not confident in distinguishing between a genuine recruiter and a scammer, according to a survey.
Three in four Indian job seekers were ignoring employment opportunities over fears that they could be fraudulent, suggesting recruitment scams are beginning to hurt legitimate hiring even when no money is lost, according to the survey, conducted by jobs platform Indeed.
The findings suggest that the impact of recruitment fraud is increasingly extending beyond those who directly lose money. Fear of being scammed is changing how candidates respond to recruiters, with legitimate employers also at risk of being ignored.
While only 3 per cent of all respondents reported losing money, 31 per cent said experience with recruitment scams had reduced their trust in recruiters and employers. Another 19 per cent reported stress or anxiety during their job search, while 14 per cent said excessive caution after encountering scams had caused them to miss genuine employment opportunities.
“Candidates want reassurance that an opportunity is legitimate, while employers need to recognise that scams carried out in their name can damage confidence in their brand,” said Rohan Sylvester, talent strategy advisor at Indeed.
The findings come as hiring moves increasingly online, with job advertisements, recruiter messages and initial candidate interactions often taking place digitally. The survey found that doubts about an opportunity can emerge as early as the first message from a recruiter or even at the job advertisement stage.
Young job seekers face greater risk
The study identified early-career workers as the most vulnerable group, with Gen Z respondents and those with up to two years of work experience more likely to encounter fraudulent job offers than other groups.
The impact was particularly severe among Gen Z respondents. More than half, or 52 per cent, said fake job opportunities had caused them to miss a genuine opportunity, while 51 per cent reported emotional stress. About 46 per cent said they had lost trust after encountering fake job offers.
The survey also found that 46 per cent of Gen Z respondents reported losing money to recruitment scams, sharply higher than the 3 per cent recorded across the overall sample.
The wide gap points to a significantly greater reported financial impact among younger job seekers, although the release does not provide the size of the Gen Z sample or the amounts lost.
Job seekers seek proof before responding
The erosion of trust is also changing what candidates look for before engaging with a recruiter.
Half of those surveyed said the ability to verify a recruiter’s identity was the strongest indicator that an opportunity was genuine, while 47 per cent said they trusted communication sent from an official company email address.
“Candidates today are taking extra steps to verify every opportunity they come across, and that’s changing the way hiring works,” Sylvester said, adding that employers need to make it easier for candidates to establish whether an opportunity is genuine.
The survey covered 1,161 employees and job seekers across India. Respondents came from different age groups and career stages, and from Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas.
