Beware, young Hongkongers: jobs too good to be true probably are, consumer watchdog advises
Teenagers urged to be extra cautious about positions promising them lucrative pay or claiming no prior experience is needed
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog is warning teenagers to beware of fraudsters offering “novel” job opportunities to lure them with promises of quick and easy money over the summer.
But once duped, the Consumer Council said, victims could be forced to shell out large sums of money for photo shoots or training courses to land a desired job, leading to significant financial loss and emotional trauma.
One case involved a victim identified by her surname Ip who paid HK$35,000 in tuition for a pet grooming course, apart from an HK$3,000 reservation fee. She was promised a monthly salary of HK$15,000 upon finishing her training.
When Ip pressed for a formal contract after three lessons, the company issued her a draft document containing stringent terms not previously disclosed.
Another case involved a complainant surnamed Cheung who was approached on the street by a self-proclaimed talent scout. The man asked Cheung whether he was interested in appearing in a short video.
Cheung was told at a later audition that his acting skills were not up to scratch. While he was told training was free, he had to fork out HK$8,800 to create a personal portfolio for other talent scouts to access.
Upon agreeing to pay the sum, he secured the job days later, for which he was paid HK$400 in total. He then realised no training was forthcoming, and when he sought a refund, the company refused his request.
Cheung eventually settled for a 50 per cent refund after enlisting the council’s help.
The council urged jobseekers to be extra cautious about postings that promised lucrative pay or did not require applicants to possess any prior experience.
It advised against paying for anything upfront and recommended seeking advice from family to avoid making poor decisions. The watchdog also advised jobseekers to always request a formal contract setting forth a salary, duties, work hours and other standard job offer details.
