Originally published by Reeracoen Vietnam on May 14th, 2025

A recent survey conducted by Reeracoen Vietnam, in collaboration with Rakuten Insight, reveals a concerning trend for job seekers: 7 in 10 have encountered job scams, highlighting major gaps in the country’s fast-growing digital hiring ecosystem.

Polling 403 job seekers across various industries in Q1 2025, the survey titled ‘Navigating Job Scams in a Fast-Growing Digital Economy: Vietnam 2025’ paints a concerning picture. A significant 69% of respondents reported encountering scam job offers, with nearly half saying they were targeted more than once. Consequently, an alarming 78% of job seekers expressed diminished trust in recruitment platforms and channels, revealing the toll that fraudulent activity is taking on Vietnam’s digital labour market.

Job Scams on the Rise Amid Vietnam’s Digital Boom

The survey results shed light on a growing safety gap in tandem with Vietnam’s burgeoning digital economy, which is projected to contribute over 20% to national GDP by 2025. Digital platforms such as job portals, social networks, and messaging apps are primary job search avenues that have become fertile ground for scams. In 2024 alone, the Ministry of Public Security reported US$744 million in scam-related losses, with job fraud among the fastest-rising categories.

Key red flags identified by job seekers include upfront payment requests (298 mentions), unrealistic salary and benefit promises (290), requests for personal/banking information (265), and listings with no official company information (211).

Despite this high awareness, scams persist – especially on unregulated platforms – prompting urgent calls for stronger safeguards.

Call for Action: Verified, Safer Hiring

Survey respondents were clear in their expectations:

• ○ Verified employer badges
• ○ Stricter ad screening using AI and human review
• ○ Real-time scam reporting tools
• ○ Platform collaboration with government authorities.

While 67% of respondents would be willing to pay for premium anti-scam features, most believe basic protections such as scam detection and employer verification should be standard and accessible to all.

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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