The Bank of China, Macau Branch (BOC) has not confirmed whether it will improve the way notifications are sent to candidates after a recent job applicant interpreted a recruitment message as fraudulent.
Last week, a recruitment post appeared on a social media platform. The user noted they had received a text message, ostensibly from the Bank of China, Macau Branch, asking them to take a written recruitment test.
The text message included a specific date and time on which the test would take place.
However, as to the location of the test, no express reference was made in the text message. In contrast, there was a hyperlink with the domain wjx.cn. The text message instructions requested the recipient to follow the hyperlink for details of the test.
The social media user was also concerned the test location in the hyperlink is a relatively obscure building behind the bank’s sub-branch near the Red Market.
Although many social media users found the location discreet, in older times banks used to purchase entire buildings where their branches or sub-branches were located. The floor space could be used as auxiliary offices.
In fact, the message was confirmed as authentic by the bank. In its response to the Times on the matter, the bank confirmed the location is the bank’s career training center. The recruitment test is part of a longer hiring procedure, the bank added.
The bank stressed it had been working with the government to support the recruitment and employment of local residents, with a particular emphasis on youth.
Nonetheless, the bank did not confirm whether it would improve the manner in which recruitment notifications would be made in future. Some social media users noted that using a hyperlink under the bank’s domain would have helped improve the credibility of the notification.
In addition, a social media user disclosed under the post that a job application had been sent to the same bank through the Labour Affairs Bureau. The applicant, meanwhile, has received a similar text message from the bureau, instructing them to get ready for the aforementioned job test. The test location, according to the user, would be in the same place.
