Job scams are on the rise with seasonal scams up by 88% in 2020 in comparison to 2019, these are the most up-to-date numbers released by the Disclosure and Barring Government Department, who are working in collaboration with JobsAware to help job seekers become more aware of the signs of a scam advert.

The scammers are looking for two things, your money and your data.

When applying for the job the applicant will be providing data which is essential to be able to get work, and then scammers are requesting money especially if the job is abroad and there are apparent costs associated with accommodation, travel, visas etc. If the fake job is in the UK it may include a fee for a DBS check and then the applicant doesn’t hear from them again.

Identity fraud is a growing problem in the UK with Cifas recording over 158,000 crimes in the first nine months of 2021. The pandemic created huge opportunities for online fraud with the majority of people working from home without the benefit of good online security, as companies struggled to keep workers online and working from home.

Here is a list of things to look out for when applying for any job to keep safe:

• If it looks too good to be true it probably is! Does the salary and the package look realistic, do some investigation and compare the package with other similar employers.
• Check out the domain name of the company, there maybe articles and reports of previous scams – you can always check out the company using Companies House
• Never send money to a potential employer, it seems obvious, but people can get caught up in the excitement of the potential of a new job and not be paying attention to some of the details.
• Sometimes the adverts are poorly written, and they are providing limited information, this can be a real clue there is something not right and you should treat this advert with suspicion.

If you believe you have been a victim of a jobs fraud, contact Action Fraud here 

The only real way to stop this happening is through raised awareness and job applicants being vigilant, the fraudsters are always improving how they target job seekers and the websites look realistic so it can be hard to tell.

Always check online the name of the company or agency and call the business to qualify the person you are dealing with, you can always find a credible company on google and most businesses will be happy to speak with you to confirm their recruitment process.