Fears over rise in bogus job scams

RECRUITMENT FIRMS TOLD TO UP THEIR GAME IN PURGE ON SWINDLES

ONE in 10 Brits are falling victim to fake job scams that the Government fears are on the rise.

As more and more people are being taken in by bogus job offers, Employment Minister Damian Hinds has told recruitment companies they must do more to help stamp it out.

Recruitment fraud is a serious yet lesser-known crime, which often goes unreported by jobseekers.

Research shows that most scam victims are typically on low incomes and are duped into applying for a fake job.

They are asked to pay up-front costs for items such as security checks, with these victims losing up to £500.

The Employment Minister wants more organisations to do their bit to highlight the issue and is challenging big players and jobs boards to take action by signing up to the SAFERjobs campaign.

One victim, Chloe, shared her experience after she fell victim to a scam. She was asked to provide money up front for DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks to work in childcare. In total she was scammed out of £125.

Chloe said: “Everything about the role looked great and I was advised it would take between six to eight weeks for the checks to be completed.

“However, once I paid the money red flags started to appear when I didn’t hear anything back.

“This is not how to treat people. This has caused me so much stress over the past couple of months, right when my income is low and I’m trying to find work. I would like to get my money back and have opened a fraud investigation with the support of SAFERjobs.

“I want to stop this agency from doing this to other people.”

Here are some tips on being safe when looking for work…

Never part with money: Be suspicious if asked to pay for any fees up front for security checks, visas or training.

Never phone the company for an interview: premium rate phone scams are common. This is where an individual calls a pay-for number thinking it’s an interview when actually they are paying for every minute they stay on hold.

Never provide personal details – bank account, NI number, date of birth, driving licence or utility bill information – that are not relevant. Never do everything online. Agents who restrict communications to email must be treated with extreme caution.