【Epoch Times, June 20, 2025】The job market in mainland China is becoming increasingly challenging, leading to a surge in the popularity of job recruitment agencies. With promises like “full process guidance, prices ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 yuan,” “24-hour nanny-style service,” and “guaranteed offer,” these tempting offers are being used by illegal job agencies to exploit the employment anxieties of recent graduates.
Specializing in financial stories, in-depth analysis, and business reports, the financial influencer “Financial Stories Collection” reported on June 20, 2025 that Ma Zhiwei, a recent graduate of the 2025 year, fell for a trap on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and spent nearly 60,000 yuan purchasing a “guaranteed offer” service, only to not even secure a single interview opportunity, eventually realizing that he had fallen into a carefully orchestrated scam.
Ma Zhiwei, who graduated from the New York State University Institute of Technology with a major in Business Administration, aspired to work in PR at a major company in Shenzhen. Faced with the unfamiliar job market environment and lack of resources in China, he saw a post on Xiaohongshu by a supposed “overseas student” claiming to have successfully obtained an offer from a major company through a job agency, which prompted him to contact an agency with a name starting with the letter “A.”
This agency used English names for both salespeople and consultants to appear more upscale. They were enthusiastic in their service and detailed the “guaranteed job offer” program, priced at 57,800 yuan, while the non-guaranteed offer program was priced at 37,800 yuan. Despite the high price, the consultants frequently dangled bait such as “updating dozens of job openings with top companies daily” and “success stories of previous students.” Ma Zhiwei ultimately chose the “Super VIP Guaranteed Job Offer Sprint Edition” for 57,800 yuan.
According to the contract, the service included various components such as remote internships at top companies, unlimited internships and referrals for full-time positions, exclusive training systems, and a promise of a refund if a satisfactory offer was not obtained. After signing and paying, Ma Zhiwei was added to a VIP study group consisting of a homeroom teacher, a duty teacher, and a counseling teacher. However, his counseling teacher, Linda, who claimed to have graduated from Columbia University and had years of top corporate experience, remained mysterious, not revealing her face, real name, or allowing students to add her on WeChat, leaving Ma Zhiwei feeling uneasy about her authenticity and unable to evaluate her qualifications and the reliability of her referrals.
What disappointed Ma Zhiwei even more was that the so-called “referral codes for top companies” and information on suitable positions could easily be found on the official websites of companies, job posting websites, or Xiaohongshu, rather than being genuine “hardcore connections.” When faced with questions, the agency only casually responded with “resumes have been submitted,” making it difficult to ascertain the veracity of their claims. After a month passed, Ma Zhiwei did not receive any interview opportunities from major companies, and the promised offer turned out to be nothing but a mirage. It was only when he requested a refund that he discovered the contract stated a refund amount of only 25,000 yuan, less than half of what he had paid.
Ma Zhiwei is not the only one who fell victim to these scams. On Xiaohongshu, under posts searching for “Is it necessary to use job intermediaries,” there are countless victims lamenting their experiences.
Ms. He, a 2025 graduate like Ma Zhiwei, spent over 20,000 yuan on a certain job agency called “X Dove Job Search” to purchase unlimited counseling, only to realize that “unlimited counseling is a pitfall” as it was extremely difficult to schedule sessions with the teachers. She noted that the later services were very poor, with delays in providing information and interview feedback, and even insinuations using PUA tactics to imply that she didn’t receive an offer due to her educational background.
Another graduate, Li Qian, who graduated from the City University of New York, also experienced similar PUA tactics: guaranteeing an offer before payment, but after payment, subtly suggesting that her school’s ranking was an issue, leading to her referrals being blocked and her inability to secure interview opportunities. When Li Qian posted a warning on social media, it was quickly reported and deleted by the agency, leaving her afraid to mention the agency’s name.
Even without paying, graduates may still encounter PUA tactics. Tang Biwei, a graduate of Xi’an International Studies University, received multiple calls pressuring her to pay from a job agency called “X Chung Sheng.” They sent her dozens of WeChat messages daily, creating an atmosphere of anxiety, claiming that “there are limited referral slots for major companies, this is the last chance,” and “time is running out, the 26th cohort of graduates has already started job hunting.” When Tang Biwei inquired about pricing and services, they mentioned a “registration fee of 3,680 yuan and a successful job change reward of 4,000 yuan,” implying not only free counseling but also a financial incentive. Angered by this, Tang Biwei thought of it as a “scam.”
What’s even more insidious is that some “bait posts” posing as “warnings” are disguised among job agencies on Xiaohongshu. These posts appear as “real student experiences,” teasing job seekers at first and then subtly implanting advertisements for job intermediaries, prompting them to “deeply communicate” via private messages. In these interactions, the “students” warmly address the job seekers as “dear” or “darling,” extract personal information, and then recommend job agencies. A recent graduate of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Zhao Zhao, complained that she initially wanted to avoid scams but ended up being sold to these agencies, realizing that these so-called “warning posts” were just “commercial soft articles” between job agencies.
Despite their slick packaging, the sales model of job agencies is akin to the sales tactics in hair salons offering membership cards or real estate agents selling homes. Through platforms such as QiChaCha, it is evident that many job agencies claiming to be “not insignificant” have very few employees behind them; for instance, “X Rui Job Search” has only 11 employees, and “X Ma Job Plus” has only 6 employees.
These unreliable agencies are thriving because they capitalize on the job market anxiety of recent graduates. Ma Zhiwei admitted that in the face of a poor job market environment, lack of resources and qualifications, turning to agencies can alleviate anxiety and motivate oneself to actively seek employment. “If recent graduates can’t find jobs now, it will be even harder in the future, as many major companies mainly hire recent graduates.”
According to data from the Chinese Ministry of Education, the number of graduates from ordinary colleges and universities nationwide in 2025 is expected to reach 11.87 million, hitting a new historical high and intensifying the competition in the job market.
As the “most difficult job season in history” plays out year after year, the allure of landing a prestigious job and the anxiety of getting employed combine in the minds of graduating students, making them vulnerable to unreliable job agencies. Compared to legitimate recruitment platforms, these agencies are more willing to make empty promises and charge exorbitant fees. Several professionals from major companies caution recent graduates against trusting job agencies.
An executive from a major company mentioned receiving numerous calls from job agencies asking him to moonlight as a lecturer, offering 300 yuan per hour. He believed this was neither commensurate with his own value nor did he want to endorse unreliable agencies, risking his professional reputation.
Ms. Ma, with 15 years of HR experience, revealed that the concept of a “guaranteed offer” is merely a form of psychological manipulation. Even internal personnel at major companies cannot guarantee 100% success, as the recruitment process involves multiple rounds of evaluation, and it is not based on the words of a single person. Ultimately, whether or not an offer is obtained depends not on the job agency, but on the applicant’s own abilities.
Ma Zhiwei has learned his lesson. In early June of this year, after multiple requests for a refund were met with excuses, he sought the help of a lawyer friend, indicating his readiness to take legal action. Only then did the agency finally refund him.