Dear Students,

With internship and job season underway, please stay alert to job-related scams. Scammers may pretend to be employers or recruiters and use fake job advertisements, attractive salaries, or requests for advance payment to deceive job seekers.

Recent scam tactics include:

• Fake “Research Assistant” / “Project Assistant” jobs advertised on LinkedIn, followed by “online onboarding” and requests to transfer money to “buy products” for commissions.
• Asking victims to apply for loans under their own names, or to front money to buy company equipment, with promises that the company will repay the money and pay commissions.
• Impersonating university staff to request fund transfers for teaching materials.
• Impersonating ADCC or ICAC officers via WhatsApp to carry out secondary scams.

Scams continue to evolve, so please remember:

• Verify the company and job details through official channels; never pay any upfront fees for training courses from unfamiliar providers.
• Be cautious of offers with “high pay,” “no experience required,” “immediate hiring,” or “work-from-home only” conditions.
• Never disclose personal information, bank details, or OTPs to unverified individuals.
• Be wary of anyone claiming to be from a law enforcement agency and asking you to hand over valuables or make unusual transfers.

If in doubt, seek a second opinion first. Call the Hong Kong Police Force Anti-Scam Helpline at 18222, or contact the Student Affairs Office by email at antiscam@eduhk.hk. You may also visit the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre website (https://www.adcc.gov.hk/en-hk/alerts.html) for the latest scam alerts.

We wish you every success in your job search, and please stay safe from scams.

Student Affairs Office