Important advice to help you stay safe when job hunting
Scams are becoming more convincing and more people are falling victim.
These days, it’s not just the traditional methods that scammers use to extort money such as doorstep scams or identity theft.
Like every other area of online life, jobseekers are not immune from people trying to exploit them by deception.
Here, Rob Friday, our Employment and Training Advisor, takes us through the key things to look out for when considering scams during a job hunt.
Job hunting scams can come in the form of emails, text messages, social media content or fake adverts, even on reputable job sites.
Often, these could be offering you a job or interview for an employer you hadn’t applied to, claiming to be an online college offering free or cheap courses, or claiming they need a payment for processing a DBS check on your behalf.
You should also be wary of anyone offering high wages for little or no effort or experience, asking for your bank details upfront or asking for other personal details or for you to download software or to click on a link.
It’s always worth researching any company, whether an employer or college, on Companies House, and paying careful attention to the email address that’s contacting you to try and work out if it’s a scam or not.
Here’s some further useful information to protect you from scams when job hunting.
What can happen if you provide your personal information to scammers?
- Creation of fake identities using your information.
- Laundering money through your accounts, making you a ‘money mule’ and putting you at risk of a criminal record and closure of your bank account.
- Hacking your device and accessing your personal accounts.
When creating a CV, never give your:
- Date of birth
- Full address
- Passport number
- Driving licence number
- National Insurance number
- Marital status and number of children
- Credit card or bank account numbers
- Weight and height
- Hair and eye colour
For DBS scams:
- Check for outdated terms, especially if they mention the CRB, as this name was dropped over 10 years ago.
- Check which level of DBS check the job actually involves – not all require a Standard or Enhanced search.
- Check how the check will be processed – is the employer registered with the DBS to do so?
- Is the charge quoted for the DBS accurate? Basic and Standard checks both cost £18 while an Enhanced check costs £38. A company may charge a fee for handling an application, but shouldn’t be much more than the DBS fee.
- Is the company using the DBS logo? Only the DBS is allowed to use their logo on their website.
If in any doubt:
- Never part with personal details or money until you’ve made enough checks to be sure the job or course offer is legitimate.
- Contact JobsAware if you have any concerns or think you may have been scammed.
For more information on scam awareness advice, click here.