Recruitment scams trick more victims
17 January 2024
Despite the ongoing talk in some quarters of possible recession, the jobs market remains tight in many sectors of industry. Employers are still finding it hard to recruit good staff. However, with many workers keen to explore new opportunities, fraudsters have identified a chance to exploit people.
The BBC Radio 4 Money Box consumer affairs programme recently reported how scammers are tricking people out of money after thinking they were taking part in job interviews on social media and via text messages.
The fraudsters use carefully crafted scripts to harvest credit card details and other information, and in some cases can take over control of the victim’s phone.
Apparently, City of London Police say the number of people reporting these scams to Action Fraud cybercrime centre have increased more than eightfold.
In one case, scammers made a spurious offer for a remote working job involving the victim using her money to buy and review products. After many text messages they made four large card payments to a cryptocurrency exchange from the person’s account, using her money and made possible by malware placed on the phone.
Criminologists point out that fraudsters only need a few people to respond and that the victims are unsuspecting and willing participants, keen to provide application details like their name, address, date of birth and bank details
Such scams have been going on for some time. Last year, the Trading Standards Scotland Scam Watch bulletin, distributed by Police Scotland as part of its Construction Watch Scotland initiative, reported that fraudsters were posing as recruiters and posting non-existent jobs on sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed, using some details of legitimate companies.
In one case, applicants for a job ostensibly with an insurance company were asked to provide their passport, driving licence, bank account and contact details. They were also asked to visit a cryptocurrency exchange platform to 'pass verification checks'.
There are also reports of scammers impersonating recruiters and sending messages via text, email and WhatsApp with promises of better-paid and more flexible work.
If someone responds to these messages, the fraudsters go on to ask for personal information and a CV. They may also request fees for administration and travel, or in some cases for fraudulent courses, background checks and other non-existent services.
The Police point out that genuine recruiters do not usually send unsolicited job offers via text message or services like WhatsApp. They warn against clicking on links in unexpected messages and to not provide any personal details, employment history or bank details unless it can be verified that the sender is a genuine recruiter.
This can be done by contacting them using a phone number or email address listed on the company’s official website or social media accounts. People can also check official records on websites such as Companies House to confirm that an organisation actually exists.
The Police also say that a job should never be accepted without a formal interview. If the interview is carried out remotely, it should be conducted via a recognised video platform where you can see the interviewer and talk in real time.
More advice on the issue of safe recruitment can be found at the Jobs Aware website and the Which? consumer organisation.
Photo: Riki32/Pixabay
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