Scammers impersonating Recruitment companies

A recent BBC story reported on how scammers are impersonating genuine recruitment companies and advertising fake jobs to try to steal personal information.

We thought we would share with you a few ways to avoid being job scammed.

1. Beware of calls or WhatsApp messages that come out of the blue – reputable recruitment companies like ourselves do not make contact with candidates unless they have applied for a job
2. Scammers often ask for upfront fees for criminal checks or online courses – neither Equals One or other recognised recruitment companies will ask job seekers to pay to find work
3. Scammers may claim to be a recruitment agency or an HR department. If you have any suspicions, contact either the agency or the company directly to ask whether they are recruiting for a role as claimed
4. Check documents for poor spelling or grammar, plus employer’s contact details.
5. You should not be expected to include too much personal information on your CV or application form – if they are asking for passport numbers, driving licence, bank account details, marital status and other personal details the alarm bells should start ringing
6. Getting an immediate job offer without having applied for it is likely to be a scam.
7. Unrealistic salary or promises of riches should remind you of the adage: if sounds too good to be true, it probably is.