Westpac's warning desperate jobseekers to stay vigilant - following a spike in employment scams

Westpac's financial crime data shows a 50-percent rise in employment scams in the six months to August this year.

It estimates more than 100 customers were tricked into parting with funds between January and August - losing 17-hundred dollars each on average.

Westpac's Jessica Channing says scammers are impersonating legitimate employers.

She says they post ads on reputable recruitment sites - which gives people a false sense of security and makes it harder for them to recognise scams.