Scammers target desperate job hunters with fake ads as 25,000 high street workers face axe

SCAMMERS are posting fake job adverts to try and con job hunters out of their much-needed savings.

As 25,000 high street workers are facing redundancies, criminals are flooding the jobs market with clever scams targeting people looking for work.

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With millions of Brits out of work, jobs scams are on the riseCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Job scams are not new, but SAFERjobs, which was set up by the Metropolitan Police, is warning of a spike as more people are out of work due to the spread of coronavirus.

Back in 2016, SAFERjobs reported that more than £500,000 of fraud had taken place between September 2015 and September 2016.

Now, the not-for-profit campaign says that it has received 800 reports of job scams since the pandemic started, according to a ThisIsMoney report.

This is a 65 per cent rise on last year, but since only 10 per cent of people report this type of fraud, the number of victims is likely to be far higher.

The scams are extremely sophisticated often using fake recruitment agencies, conducting lengthy interviews with applicants, and even providing victims with company email addresses to carry out work.

Jobs scams broadly fall into two separate categories. The first type work by tricking you into parting with cash in order to secure a job.

How to avoid recruitment scams

CONSUMER experts at Which? Money give their five top tips for avoiding a jobs scam.

Be suspicious if the employer or agent provides a webmail email address such as @yahoo or @hotmail as a point of contact.
Check any documents for poor spelling and grammar – this is often a sign that fraudsters are at work.
Check official records on websites such as companies house or overseas registries to confirm that the organisation offering you the job actually exists. If it does, contact the organisation directly through officially listed contact details to confirm the job offer is genuine.
If you’re in discussion about a job abroad, ask the embassy representing the country where you believe you will be working how to obtain a visa and how much it costs. Check that the answers the potential employer gives you are the same – if they’re not, it’s a strong indication of fraud.
Tell the employer that you will make your own travel and accommodation arrangements. Beware if they try hard to dissuade you, or tell you that you have to use the agency they refer you to.

For instance, some ask applicants to complete online training courses costing hundreds of pounds.

These courses look like they are run by professional bodies, and people who complete them even get a certificate as with many legit qualifications.

But the courses are not recognised, and the promised jobs at the end are nonexistent – meaning job hunters are left with a worthless qualification and without the role they were expecting.

Other fake job adverts scam unwitting applicants into paying for expensive criminal checks, in order to secure a new roles.

Some job hunters are offered services to improve their CV costing as much as £500, others are asked to pay up front for visas and flights for non-existent jobs abroad.

For instance, back in 2011, Ryanair warned about an email recruitment scam which was designed to trick people into paying for visa applications in order to apply for fake roles.

Applicants are also often made to calls premium rate phone lines for interviews and even conned into participating in money laundering via work-from-home scams.

What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

IF you have been the victim of a scam, or spot a job ad that you think is fraudulent, here’s what to do next.

Stop all communications with the scammers
Report all the details to Action Fraud either online or by calling 0300 123 2040
Also contact SAFERjobs to report the fraud
If you’ve transferred any money or shared bank details, contact your bank immediately
Alert the jobs website where you spotted the scam

One victim of jobs fraud told the Daily Mail that she was scammed out of thousands of pounds in unpaid salary, as well as unknowingly being used to interview other people for nonexistent jobs.

Another reported having to pay £29 fees for a criminal check from a spoof Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) website. A third was tricked into paying £260 for a fake professional course.

The second type of jobs fraud is designed to convince you to give up personal details in the hunt for a new role, which can then be used to commit financial fraud.

The scammers ask for details such as passport numbers, date of birth, marital status, full addresses, bank account numbers and driving license numbers.

Using the information you provide, fraudsters can apply for credit cards or loans, set up mobile phone contracts or even access your existing bank accounts.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned that unemployment in the UK could reach 2.6million by next year.

As redundancies rise, and people are desperately looking for jobs, both types of jobs fraud are only likely to increase further, particularly as people search for vacancies online.

A spokesperson for Action Fraud said: “If you’re looking for a job, keep in mind that not all advertised roles are genuine. If you’re offered a job out of the blue, or come across a job that seems too good to be true, it usually is.

“Be sure to check any documents for incorrect spelling or grammar as this is often a sign that the job might be fake. Check with Companies House to confirm that the organisation offering you the job actually exists.

“If it does, contact the organisation directly through officially listed contact details to confirm the job offer is genuine.”

Retailers hit by covid

THE covid-19 pandemic has pushed struggling retailers over the edge. Here are some other high-profile retail names hit by the virus outbreak:

Aldo shoe shop went into administration in May resulting in five UK store closures and it’s searching for a buyer for the remaining business, though franchised stores are not part of the process and concessions remain trading.

Arcadia, the owner of Topshop and other top high street fashion brands, filed for administration on Monday, the biggest British corporate insolvency so far of the coronavirus pandemic.

Benson Beds fell into administration in June with Harveys Furniture and was quickly bought back by its owners in a prearranged deal.

Brighthouse fell into administration at the end of March.

Cath Kidston went into administration in April and its online, franchise and wholesale arms were bought back by its owners resulting in the closure of 60 stores and 908 redundancies.

Harveys Furniture, the UK’s second largest furniture retailer, fell into administration in June and continues to trade and honour existing orders while it plans to close 20 stores and make 240 staff redundant.

Laura Ashley said in March it would permanently shut 70 stores and cut hundreds of jobs after appointing administrators.

LK Bennet brought in administrators earlier this year and is proposing to close stores and reduce rents to save the business.

Oasis and Warehouse The British fashion brands fell into administration in mid-April after failing to find buyers, and online fashion group Boohoo said in June it was buying the brands but closing all stores.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Peacocks and Jaeger owners fell into administration in November, putting 4,716 jobs at risk.

Monsoon Accessorize went into administration in June and were then bought out of administration by their founder with plans to close 35 stores, make 545 staff redundant and seek rent cuts for remaining shops to try and stay afloat.

National fraud reporting centre Action Fraud teaches you how to avoid online scams

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk