Job Scams
Does it sound too good to be true? It probably is!
It’s all over the news, even the BBC were discussing it just this morning, and I’ve seen plenty with my own eyes over the past few weeks and months – it’s the rise of the Job Scam. With the Pandemic rife, job vacancies in the UK at an all time high and the Great Resignation in full swing it comes as no surprise that fraudsters would take advantage of this opportune moment to get rich quick.
What is it?
Job seekers can often be anxious and stressed with the entire process of trying to get a new job. Perhaps money is tight, and the job situation is getting desperate. These scammers are preying on these vulnerable people – knowing that they desperately hope for a position that meets their abilities and needs in the easiest possible way.
Job Scams can take many forms but here are a couple of examples:
Advance Fee Scams and Identity Theft: Quite often these scams involve the promise of a well-paying job in return for payment upfront for training, materials, equipment and/or recruitment fees. Scammers steal personal information as a form of identity theft, or they steal money from cards/ bank accounts citing the need for ‘new employees’ to prove their identity by providing extra details.
It is also possible to find criminals creating fake postings on all the most popular job boards, they conduct telephone screening and fake interviews with candidates via encrypted online apps. They then send a cheque to the person’s home address ‘to buy office materials and other necessary equipment’ – the cheque will then bounce meaning the candidate is buying materials from ‘preferred vendors’ using their own money.
This is similar to Money Laundering Scams in which you may be asked to buy equipment/ materials from a so-called salary allowance and send them to various locations. You may not know that you are doing anything wrong because this is in your new job description!
Premium-rate Phone Scams: As the candidate, you call a number assuming you’re going to have an initial phone interview, but you’re kept on hold. You may have to have an hour-long interview with a recruiter that you call, costing you hundreds of pounds.
If you see your dream job advertised with a starting salary of $100,000 and company benefits with little required in the way of skills, qualifications, or experience – it is most likely to be a swindle!
What to do?
1. Never pay money up front!
2. Stop putting lots of personal details on your CV! These are not necessary!
3. Beware of any payments by cheque!
4. Don’t respond to generic calls for applicants online!
5. Never call the company for an interview – they will phone you or you can do this via on online app.
6. Be suspicious of emails which are not corporate in nature – i.e., yahoo.co.uk emails addresses for example (Free accounts)
7. Be very wary if the job you are applying for is overseas. Contact the local embassy and really do your research.
8. Do not give out personal details that are not relevant to an application process - such as bank account details, a National Insurance number, driving licence or utility bill information
9. Do research about the company the job is with - check landline telephone numbers to confirm the job is real, and use social media and other sources to find out more about the firm
10. Check out the company’s own website for any job advertisements and/or employees who may bee trusted with the recruitment of the business. Contact them directly regarding the job posting.
You can check out various other sources for more information on Job Scams – some of these might be of help:
1. https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/job-scams-aFQaP4P9btJv
2. https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/recruitment-scams
3. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams