Originally published by Reeracoen Singapore on May 19th, 2025

New findings highlight growing urgency for digital hiring safeguards as trust in recruiters and job sites declines

Amid one of Asia’s most digitally advanced labour markets, a new survey by Reeracoen Singapore, in collaboration with Rakuten Insight Global, reveals that 35% of jobseekers in Singapore encountered job scams in the past year, withover half of them targeted more than once.

This worrying trend comes amid a national surge in scams. According to the Singapore Police Force, scam cases rose by 46.8% in 2023, with job scams alone costing victims more than S$20 million. Despite Singapore’s strong governance and advanced recruitment platforms, digital fraud continues to outpace safeguards.

Jobseekers Losing Faith in Trusted Platforms

The survey found that fraudsters are exploiting legitimate-looking platforms and impersonating recruiters to target tech-savvy candidates. Among the top job search channels are online job portals and company websites, but even these are being misused by bad actors. In response, 79% of jobseekers said they are highly concerned about scam risks and 40% reported declining trust in recruitment platforms and agencies due to scam exposure.

The most common red flags include requests for upfront fees or personal information and suspiciously high salaries paired with minimal job requirements.

Jobseekers Call for Platform Accountability

Respondents identified the following as top measures they want from job platforms and recruiters:

• ○ Stricter screening of job postings

• ○ Verified employer and recruiter accounts

• ○ Real-time user reporting systems for suspicious ads

• ○ Collaboration with government agencies for enforcement

Notably, only 1 in 5 respondents said they would pay for additional scam protection, reinforcing the expectation that safety should be a built-in standard, not a premium add-on.

Industry-Wide Call to Action

To address these concerns, the report offers strategic recommendations for employers, platforms, and regulators seeking to strengthen digital hiring integrity:

• ○ Deploy verification badge systems to deter impersonation

• ○ Implement AI-powered screening tools to detect and block fraudulent job postings

• ○ Enhance collaboration with regulatory bodies like the Ministry of Manpower and Infocomm Media Development Authority on cross-platform enforcement

• ○ Run public awareness campaigns to educate jobseekers on red flags and reporting mechanisms

Related articles: Singapore workers preparedness for digital transformation, Singapore’s Gen Z prioritises income over free time, Gen Z shopping behaviour and brand preferences.

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