Backpackers targeted in online scam
Backpackers have become the targets of an online scam which claimed to offer jobs and accommodation in return for a "deposit".
Consumer Protection has warned overseas visitors after fake website www.orangeshill.net.au was used in a scam.
The website, which has not been shut down, claimed it could offer job opportunities to those who sent a payment to a prepaid credit card account.
A farm in Manjimup, referred to on the website, did not exist.
Consumer Protection commissioner Anne Driscoll said travellers should be suspicious when employment agents asked for fees to secure the job.
"There have been many cases where backpackers have been left out of pocket after handing over their money and giving their personal details, only to find out afterwards that the job doesn't exist and they have become the victim of a scam," she said.
In WA, employment agents must be licensed and are not permitted to charge fees to prospective employees.
Ms Driscoll said jobseekers being asked to pay fees for employment should refuse and report the agent or their website to Consumer Protection.
