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Beware the scammers

03 March 2010

The BBC recently reported on the growing number of fake recruitment and training agencies who are feeding off people’s desire to ‘get a job’.

These bogus recruitment websites and dodgy training schools are nothing more than a cover to get your personal details (to sell to criminals) or to buy CV services at exorbitant rates. And all too often, says the BBC report, young job-hungry candidates are willing to send off just what the criminals want.
Graduates seem a key target of fake job advertisements posted on jobs boards, some from what look like household names. British Airways, Toyota and Whitbread have all had sham sites set up in their names and been forced to issue official warnings.
The big no-no is to provide anyone with your financial details at any stage in the job hunting process. Recent research found that 57% of CVs provide enough information for a criminal to fraudulently apply for a credit card.
The current big wheeze is the CV rewriting ‘service’. Job ads are put on boards to solicit your CV. You are then told that with a bit of professional help you would have more chance of getting that elusive job. The CV rewriting service costs you £350, but there is in reality no job for it to be sent to.
The scammers do often give themselves away. No blue-chip company or reputable recruitment agency would ask for money to assist in the application. Poor spelling and grammar are also tell-tale signs.
If you have had any experiences of the scammers please contact graham@pqaccountant.com

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