Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech is warning Queenslanders to be on the lookout for online job offers that look authentic, but are actually fronts for crooks looking to recruit money laundering 'mules'.

Mrs Keech said the Office of Fair Trading had received a number of recent complaints from job hunters concerned they were either being asked to break the law or had been targeted for identity fraud.

"There are a number of clever scams at the moment targeting online job hunters and offering high rates of pay for very little work," Mrs Keech said.

"Usually these job ads, which often look professional and seem plausible, ask for 'responsible, hard-working and motivated' applicants with no criminal record.

"If you receive such a job offer you are, in all likelihood, being asked to participate in a scam that not only lures you into unwittingly transferring money to make it appear it was legitimately obtained, but opens you up to identity fraud.

"This scam, known as a 'mule' scam, might seem like a good way to earn a bit of extra money, but it could end up earning you a criminal record."

'Mule' scams are named after drug mules - people who move other people's drugs across borders - and target innocent or naïve people to move stolen money to foreign countries.

Mrs Keech said the stolen money often came from the bank accounts of victims of another kind of internet scam - 'phishing'.

"'Phishing' scams usually arrive via email and are designed to lure people into providing their bank account details," she said.

"Most phishing emails look like they have been sent from a person's financial institution as they often contain a copy of the company's logo and a believable email address.

"These emails look legitimate, but they're not - the scammers use them to access people's accounts and then rob them."

Mrs Keech said 'mules' recruited over the internet were often asked to open a separate bank account into which the crooks deposited the proceeds of 'phishing' scams.

The 'mule' was then instructed to withdraw the funds and send them overseas, usually by Western Union transfer, and keep a percentage as a 'commission'.

Mrs Keech warned that 'mules' faced the risk of being caught up in the illegal activity.

"Unfortunately a number of people have been caught up in these 'mule' scams and have been used to launder money without even realising it," she said.

"The scams are another example of how crooks are using the internet to manipulate innocent people into breaking the law by getting them to do their dirty work for them.

"The good news is that people are now starting to recognise that these ads and emails are scams and are reporting them to the Office of Fair Trading so others can be warned."

Mrs Keech said there were a number of signs to look out for, common to all 'mule' and 'phishing' scams.

"These scams all have several things in common: they promise instant wealth for minimal effort and ask you to provide your bank account details," she said.

"To avoid scams, I would encourage the public to be wary of any communication received from people they don't know, avoid giving out personal details such as bank account or credit card numbers unless you know who you are dealing with, treat offers that sound too good to be true with suspicion, and report anything you suspect might be a scam to your nearest Office of Fair Trading."

To report new scams and suspicious offers contact the Office of Fair Trading on 13 13 04, or visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au for more information on common scams.