POUND NOTES
Think before replying to a
A text or WhatsApp message from a “friend in need” asking for money or personal information could be a scammer, a new awareness campaign has warned.
The “Stop. Think. Call.” campaign by WhatsApp in partnership with National Trading Standards encourages people to:
STOP: Take time before you respond. Make sure your WhatsApp two-step verification is switched on to protect your account and that you are happy with your privacy settings. THINK: Does this request make sense? Are they asking for money? Remember that scammers prey on people’s kindness, trust and willingness to help.
CALL: Verify that it really is your friend or family member by calling them directly, or asking them to share a voice note. Only when you are 100% sure the request is from someone you know and trust, should you consider it.
If it turns out to be untrue, report it to Action Fraud.
Louise Baxter, head of the National Trading Standards scams team and Friends Against Scams, said reports of “friend-in-need” scams have been growing in recent months.
Applications for graduate jobs have surged but vacancies have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, a survey suggests.
The 2021 cohort of graduates have been competing for positions against last year’s cohort – who graduated in the year the pandemic began, the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) said.
A survey of 177 student employers in September suggests firms have received an average of 91 applications per graduate vacancy, which is a 17% increase on last year.
The most popular roles were in retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and tourism, which received 182 applications per vacancy.