Fake Job Alert & Beware Identity Theft

A while ago (19th July) I blogged about fake jobs- but this is an on-going problem - (and world-wide).
One of my colleagues in the Careers Service said that he had seen a couple of international students recently who had come to him with job offers that they were worried about - and they turned out to be fake.
What happens is that student puts their CV on a job search website. Later they are contacted by a Company offering a job, which sounds marvellous – (often lots of money for only a few hours work) -but it isn’t a real job – it is a scam.
There are several different kinds of scam:-
1. Where they want you to send them money in advance- a reputable Company will never do this – the idea is that they pay you, not the other way round!!
2. Where the job involves “processing customer payments” through your own bank account. They are basically looking to launder illegal money. I have covered this one in my July 19th blog posting so have a look at it this for more information.
3. Cheque- cashing scams where they send you a cheque and then later, (with a plausible excuse), ask for this money to be wired back to them. Later you find the original cheque has bounced.

So some rules to help ensure you don’t fall victim to a scam:-
-Never pay money in advance – they should pay you!
-There is a saying, which is good advice- ‘If it sounds too good to be true- then it usually is’
-Do not accept a job that involves processing customer payments through your own account
-Always check out Companies that approach you direct- check them out via the internet – do they look legitimate?
-We wary if it sounds like a standard job but then later they say that you have to work on a self-employed basis. (Also remember you can't be self -employed whilst you are on a student visa)
-There are lots of useful websites that give info about fake jobs and scams – Google those for background information
-Come and check with us if you have any doubts

A related topic is identity theft.
When you put your CV on a job search website identity thieves could possibly target the information in it to steal your identity to set up bank accounts or take out credit cards fraudulently.
To avoid this problem, when putting your CV on a job search website be careful what information you include – you can always provide full details later when you are dealing with a individual Company or person that you are confident about.
-Do not include your date of birth (because of age discrimination laws this is no longer a requirement on a UK CV)
-Do not include extra details such as marital status, place of birth etc (these are not needed on a UK CV anyway)
-Do not include your full postal address (as long as you include your email address they can contact you)
- Do not include the full postal addresses of your referees
-Only give your first and last name not your middle name or other names

I don’t want anyone to be concerned about any of this. Most jobs and companies are real and people are not trying to trick you. But there are ‘a few bad guys out there’(!) and you can take these practical and easy steps to ensure that you are not one of the people they con.

Judy
Careers Service

Careers Service

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