Fake Job Portal Share-to-Apply Scam

A web page pretends to be a recruitment portal for a government office or a well-known employer. It advertises hundreds of open jobs and asks for your name, phone number and other details. It then says you qualify, but tells you to share the link with 15 friends or 5 WhatsApp groups before you can apply. There is no real application. The buttons send you to other websites instead.

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Fake Job Portal Share-to-Apply Scam example

How this scam works

  1. 1

    Step 1: You see a link to a job page that uses the name and logo of a government office or a large company. It shows a large number of open positions and says to apply before the portal closes.

  2. 2

    Step 2: The page asks for details such as your name, phone number, email, gender, birth year and where you live.

  3. 3

    Step 3: After a short loading bar, the page says you qualify. It then tells you to share the link with 15 friends or 5 WhatsApp groups before you can submit.

  4. 4

    Step 4: Sharing spreads the page to the people you know. The final buttons send you to other, unrelated websites. Some versions ask you to install an app, send a text message or fill in more forms.

  5. 5

    Step 5: Some versions also change what the Back button does, so pressing Back sends you to an outside website instead of the page you came from.

✓ Do this

  • Look for job openings only on the official website of the government office or company. Type the address yourself.
  • If you already shared the link, send a short message to the same friends or groups to say it was not real.
  • If you entered your phone number or email, watch for unexpected calls, texts or messages that mention the job.
  • Report the page or message on the platform where you saw it.

✗ Avoid this

  • Do not share a job link with friends or groups just to unlock an application. Real employers do not ask for this.
  • Do not trust a page because it shows a government seal, a company logo or a large number of open positions.
  • Do not install apps, send text messages or complete surveys that a job page says are needed to verify you.

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