Fake Recruitment Ads for Hong Kong Universities Appear on Mainland Social Platforms; Scammers Demand Huge Fees from Hong Kong Graduates Under the Guise of 'Internal Referrals'

Aiming at graduates of Hong Kong institutions who plan to return to the mainland for work, multiple fake recruitment ads impersonating the 'mainland offices' of Hong Kong universities have recently appeared on the mainland social platform Xiaohongshu.

Scammers approach job seekers through intermediaries, ostensibly offering job-search guidance but actually attempting to undermine their confidence, then persuading them to pay huge 'internal referral' fees to secure employment, with amounts reaching as high as RMB 300,000.

Key points of this article: Scammers impersonate the 'mainland offices' of multiple Hong Kong universities (such as PolyU, HKU, CUHK, etc.) on Xiaohongshu to post fake recruitment ads targeting 'Hong Kong drifters' graduates.

After contacting an intermediary undercover, the reporter was arranged to receive guidance from a 'teacher', during which the reporter was told that their academic qualifications and conditions were insufficient and was then persuaded to pay RMB 300,000 for an 'internal referral' to secure employment.

Other scammers impersonated Tung Wah College and The Education University of Hong Kong, claiming to offer MBA programs or 'master's programs taught during winter and summer vacations', in an attempt to defraud tuition fees ranging from HK$280,000 to HK$300,000.

The universities concerned have issued statements to clarify and call on the public to be vigilant, and the police have also reminded job seekers to use trustworthy channels and verify the authenticity of recruitment information.

Fake recruitment ads flood social platforms.

Recently, multiple posts titled 'Hong Kong Polytechnic University Mainland Office Recruitment' and similar have appeared on Xiaohongshu, claiming to offer positions suitable for 'Hong Kong university students planning to return to the mainland', with a stable work pace and an international environment.

In addition to PolyU, the posts also falsely use the names of the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and City University of Hong Kong to recruit for positions such as admissions promotion and institutional cooperation, attracting inquiries from many netizens.

Undercover reporter exposes intermediary scam tactics.

The reporter contacted a user claiming to be an 'intermediary' as a Hong Kong drifter graduate, and the person immediately switched to WeChat communication, claiming to be able to offer 'internal referral' opportunities.

The intermediary then arranged for a 'teacher' to call the reporter via WeChat, repeatedly questioning the reporter's academic background and job-search strategy and claiming that it is difficult to find an ideal job in the current environment, seemingly intending to undermine the job seeker's confidence.

After the call, the intermediary immediately called the reporter, echoing the 'teacher's' assessment and saying that it would be impossible to be hired under normal circumstances; the only way was to obtain an 'internal referral' through the 'teacher's' connections, but a fee of RMB 300,000 would be charged for gifts to 'relevant persons', and it was claimed that because the monthly salary exceeds RMB 20,000, the cost could be recouped in just over a year.

Scammers also impersonate institutions to recruit students and defraud tuition.

In addition to fake recruitment, some scammers impersonated Tung Wah College in posts on Xiaohongshu, claiming that the college's MBA program had begun enrollment for September 2027 entry, with tuition of HK$250,000 to HK$280,000.

When the reporter inquired as a mainland student, the other party urged payment of HK$280,000 in tuition and said that if the applicant lacked a recommendation letter, an employer could be arranged to issue one for a fee of RMB 50,000.

Other scammers impersonated The Education University of Hong Kong, claiming to offer a 'master's program taught during winter and summer vacations', with admission upon payment of RMB 300,000.

Universities and police call for vigilance.

After learning of the incident, Hong Kong Polytechnic University posted a statement on Xiaohongshu clarifying that the relevant recruitment posts were false information, seriously inconsistent with the facts, damaging the university's reputation and misleading the public.

Tung Wah College said via its official Instagram that it does not offer any MBA program and that the relevant promotional materials were not published by the college.

The Education University of Hong Kong also reiterated that all program information is subject to official channels and that it has not cooperated with any intermediary agencies for admissions.

The police reminded the public to seek employment through trustworthy channels, remain vigilant when looking for jobs online, and verify the background of recruiting companies and the authenticity of information.

The post Fake Recruitment Ads for Hong Kong Universities Appear on Mainland Social Platforms; Scammers Demand Huge Fees from Hong Kong Graduates Under the Guise of 'Internal Referrals' appeared first on Sing Tao Daily.