WhatsApp Australia Sponsorship Visa Offer – Real or Scam?
Introduction
We have had it brought to our attention that a viral message on WhatsApp is urging people to apply for Australian Visa Sponsorship and Jobs as part of the 2022 – 2023 migration round. The WhatsApp message includes a link to a website through which applicants can apply. However, this message is a scam, and the website is fraudulent.
Details of the WhatsApp Australia Visa Website Scam
In this article, we have included screenshots of the WhatsApp message offering An Australian Visa and referring to a (non-existent) Australia Visa lottery.
The message claims that Australia is experiencing a labour shortage and is looking for national and international applicants to fill the gap. Although this is an accurate statement, the website goes on to make promises of a success rate of 99.9% and claims that companies and employers in Australia will provide visa sponsorships to international applicants providing their details. This is false.
Upon clicking the link in the WhatsApp message offering Australia Sponsorship, users are directed to a fraudulent website designed solely to harvest their data.
WhatsApp Australia Visa message
The text of the WhatsApp Message states:
The Australian government is looking for National and International applicants who can fill the shortage of jobs in Australia. The Australian Government announced a 400% number of immigrants. This is an opportunity to work legally in Australia.
To make it more appealing, the message concludes.
Australia has already increased the number of immigrants from 35 thousand to 195 thousand in the current year.
Again, these are factual statements, but they serve no purpose other than to make the message look more legitimate and encourage the people who received the WhatsApp message to click on the link so they can ‘Apply’ for an Australia Visa.
Verification of the WhatsApp Australia sponsorship visa Scam
Upon visiting the website, users are asked to fill in their personal information, such as their first and last name, phone number, email address, and country. You can add any text in this section that suggests the form is looking to collect data without any real need for authentication.
Users are prompted to apply for the “ongoing Australia Sponsorship Visa and Jobs Program,” with a message claiming that “The Number Of Applicants is limited” again, we assume this wording has been included to suggest a degree of urgency and to get people to complete the process quickly and share the message with their WhatsApp contacts before time runs out.
Clicking on the “Continue” button prompts users to fill in their full name and current level of education, after which they receive a congratulatory message indicating that they are qualified for a job and study in Australia. This is interesting news, especially given the website doesn’t ask for the course the applicant intends to study or the sector they would like to work in. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Scam Alert: Viral Message on WhatsApp Promoting False Australian Visa Sponsorship and Jobs
One of the key indicators that the website offering Australian Visa Sponsorship and Jobs is a phishing platform is the lack of transparency and details on the application process.
The website claims that it can provide Australian visa sponsorship and jobs to international applicants with a 99.9% success rate, which is unrealistic and should immediately raise red flags. Also, the website URL is not an official Australian government URL, which ends in.gov.au.
The image on the website also looks familiar. Why? Well, because our team here at 482jobs.com designed it! The image they have included on their scam website is the same image we used it to promote the jobs, we share on our social media platforms, such as our LinkedIn company page and Facebook Pages.
Unlike the official version of the image, the scammers have removed the 482jobs.com reference, which, on our version of the image, is included below the “Sponsored Jobs In Australia” text; perhaps we should be flattered that the scammers chose to steel our image to use on their website. But we are not!
Another tell-tale sign of a scam website is the absence of specific job or education requirements on their form. The website does not ask for any qualifications or experience or specify any job openings it is filling, which should also be a red flag.
In addition, the website attempts to use social proof to lure people into thinking it is a legitimate platform. Social proof is often achieved by including a few Facebook comments from people who have used the platform successfully (in this case, sharing their details to secure an Australia visa).
However, upon closer inspection, these comments are fake and are nothing but tiny images contained on the webpage. They are not actual Facebook comments (that would link back to the profiles of the candidates if they were clicked), and any attempt to add additional comments in the comment box at the end is fruitless.
Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the website contains an iFrame that enables it to play host to any of the (253 and counting) low-ranking domains also connected to its server. This increases the risk of users being exposed to data harvesting and phishing from these other websites.
Please always be careful of any websites or messages promising guaranteed results without specific requirements or details.
Screenshots of the WhatsApp Australia Visa Scam
We’ve included a few screenshots to show how the scam works. For those who have received a message on WhatsApp promising job offers and visa sponsorship for Australia, it is essential to be careful and verify the authenticity of such claims before providing any personal information.
By being informed and vigilant, we can protect ourselves and our personal data from malicious internet attacks. To illustrate the potential risks, we have included screenshots so you can recognise the WhatsApp message and landing page in question. These screenshots serve as a visual reference for users to help them identify the warning signs of a phishing scam and avoid becoming victims of online fraud.
The second screenshot is of the landing page for the scam website. It asks for personal details such as first name, last name, email address, and phone number. This indicates that the website is a phishing platform aimed at compromising the victims’ data.
The final screenshot shows the success pages, claiming that you have qualified for a job and study in Australia. These pages encourage users to share the offer with their friends and family on WhatsApp, further spreading the scam. The Scam website even used material stolen from our website.
Australia WhatsApp Lottery Update
16th February 2023 Update:
So digging Around the webpage a little more this morning, we noticed a hidden StatCounter button. The text of the counter was changed to the same colour as the webpage (white), so it is invisible to users viewing the website.
Statcounter offers a free service to website owners, which sees the owner of the webpage inserting a small piece of JavaScript code on their webpage. This code then helps track visitors which helps the website page owner identify the number of visitors to their webpage, including keywords, referrers and other interesting information.
Reviewing the stats is pretty shocking as it indicates how many people are actually falling victim to this WhatsApp Australia Visa scam.
I have included a screenshot of one of Statcounter visitor summaries below as it shows us that this dodgy web page has received as many as 366,000 visitors in one day and over 5.7 Million people since the counter started in September 2022!!
The report also shows us that users from Sri Lanka, Kenya, Ghana, India and South Africa are the primary victims.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while there is a high demand for workers in Australia, it is essential to beware of scams such as the WhatsApp Australia Visa Sponsorship offer. The website linked to the message is fraudulent and can result in data harvesting and phishing.
It is always best to use reputable, official channels such as the Australian government website to apply for an Australian visa. These websites will always end with the .gov.au domain name. If you’re interested in job opportunities in Australia with sponsorship, check out reputable website sthat have been around for years, like ours. Don’t fall for fake offers and put your personal information at risk.
Don’t be sucked in and forward the message. If you really qualified for an Australian Visa, why would you have to forward the WhatsApp Message to groups or contacts to qualify?
Have you been impacted – Did you receive the Australia Visa WhatsApp message?
As many people are falling for the Australia Visa WhatsApp scam, we’d like to hear from our readers and gather more information to help others stay safe online. Could you let me know if you got the Australia Visa WhatsApp message? Could you let us know if you clicked on the link or provide any personal information?
Please share your experience in the comments and help us spread the word about this scam.
Greeting Sir /Mam. I’m from Nepal. I’m a secondary level English teacher at public school. I want to come Australia for jobs. So you help me for this process.