HO CHI MINH CITY and HANOI, Vietnam, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — 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.

This data reveals a pressing challenge for Vietnam’s digital workforce,” said Kosuke Soejima, General Director of Reeracoen Vietnam. “We must connect talent with opportunity and protect them through verified, transparent recruitment channels.”

Mr Kosuke Soejima, General Director at Reeracoen Vietnam
Mr Kosuke Soejima, General Director at Reeracoen Vietnam

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.

The fact that such a large percentage of job seekers no longer trust platforms or recruiters is a wake-up call,” said Masato Sekine, Country Manager of Reeracoen Vietnam. “Employers and platforms must now collaborate to rebuild confidence, and recruitment agencies must lead by example.

Mr Masato Sekine, Country Manager at Reeracoen Vietnam
Mr Masato Sekine, Country Manager at Reeracoen Vietnam

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.

Reeracoen Vietnam urges the recruitment industry and digital platforms to work together to restore trust, transparency, and safety in hiring.

To download the full report or explore Reeracoen’s recruitment services, visit: 

About Reeracoen 

Reeracoen is an award-winning leader in Asia’s recruitment landscape, connecting top-tier talent with forward-thinking organisations across the region. With 9 offices across 6 major Asian countries, we combine deep local networks with cross-border hiring expertise to help businesses grow faster and stronger. Our excellence has been recognised with recent awards such as: 

  • Best Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency 2025
  • Best International Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency 2024
  • Best Executive Recruitment Agency 2024

We uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service quality, providing innovative and trusted recruitment solutions to help businesses and candidates succeed in an evolving digital economy. For more information, visit https://www.reeracoen.com.vn/ and follow us on social media.

About Rakuten Insight Global, Inc. 

Rakuten Insight Global, Inc. (“Rakuten Insight”) is a wholly-owned online market research subsidiary of Rakuten Group, Inc., a global leader in internet services, headquartered in Tokyo. Rakuten Insight was established in 1997 as AIP Corporation and became part of the Rakuten Group in 2014. Rakuten Insight possesses a research panel focusing on 12 major Asian markets & the US and a panel network covering 60 countries and regions. With offices in 11 countries and regions, Rakuten Insight provides market research for over 500 leading companies around the world. Rakuten Insight Singapore serves as an off-shore market research hub to drive business development and provide multi-lingual and multi-functional operational support for clients based across Southeast Asia. For more information, visit https://insight.rakuten.com/ and follow us on social media.