Employment scams on the rise: Watch out for these latest recruitment scams

Fake fee scams

Persuading job seekers to pay for a non-existent fee, such as for a fake DBS check or security fee, an administration fee, as well as an accreditation or training fee, is a tactic being used by fraudsters to get victims to send money.

These are also known as ‘advanced fee scams’, where victims are told that they need to pay upfront ‘recruitment administration fees’.

Things to check for when you’re approached with these types of messages:

• Not all positions require a standard or enhanced DBS check. These checks are typically done for education, security, healthcare, and social care roles. If your job or your new employer’s industry does not fit into these categories and you weren’t expecting to have a DBS check, consult with DBS before handing over any information or money.
• Poor spelling or grammar in these messages will probably indicate that this is a fake scam.
• Communications come from generic email accounts, such as from a Gmail account.

Posing as genuine Recruitment Companies

Some fraudsters are posting vacancies online, and sending WhatsApp messages while pretending to be from a recruitment company that is actually a legitimate company.

These fraudsters actually have nothing to do with the recruitment companies that they claim to represent.

Scammers have been exploiting a number of reputable job websites to target their victims, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Reed.

Graduates and people entering the workforce are the main culprits of these scams, as fraudsters prey on the fact this group tends to know less about the recruitment process.

 These scams can come in many forms:

• Texts or WhatsApp messages that provide opportunities for fake job opportunities. Fake interviews are then conducted, as well as fake job offers and contracts. These fraudsters will either then try to get the victims to pay money up-front for ‘admin’ checks, or try to get personal information such as bank details.
• A similar scam has also been conducted, but rather than approaching victims via text or WhatsApp, fake job ads have been posted to sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Reed. Scammers then target the people who have applied.
• Some scammers simply direct message people on networking sites such as LinkedIn, but as they have a profile that makes them look like they are genuine recruiters, many will believe that they have genuine job opportunities.

LinkedIn has said that 99.3% of detected spam and scams are caught by its automated spam systems, and that 99.6% of detected fake accounts are blocked before members even have a chance to report them.

At T2M Resourcing, we compiled a list that explains our process, how you can expect to hear from us and communicate with us, as well as how to get in contact if you’re unsure whether something is a scam or not. You can find it here.

Using Fake Websites

Fake recruitment websites have also been set up. This scam involves someone posting as a recruiter and sending a link to a job ad, or a job offer. Often this involves the need to download something from the website.

These scams prompt you to create an account to sign up, where fraudsters will then gather your personal information.

Or, they might download harmful malware or ransomware onto your device.

Typically the scam might look like this:

You get a job offer with some basic information that sounds very interesting, and there is a link that you’re told to click.

This opens up a new website, where you might see a presentation that you’re prompted to download, which is stated to contain details of the organisation/ job role/ job offer etc.

After clicking through the link, there’s usually some kind of landing page where you will be required to log in and provide your personal details in order to download the file.

Thinking about your next career move? Get in contact with a Recruitment Company you can trust, check out our vacancies page, or contact us via Hello@t2mresourcing.com to let us know what you’re looking for.