The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is running a campaign to raise awareness of job scams and employment fraud among job seekers. DBS is working alongside JobsAware, Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI.
JobsAware is a non-profit organisation, with cross-government support, that informs people of how to avoid job scams and unfair working practices, and supports job seekers with suspected fraud, malpractice and other poor experiences.
Job scams are extremely prevalent in the current job market. During the pandemic, almost three in four job seekers (74%) applied for jobs that were not genuine.
Lack of awareness and education surrounding employment fraud is one of the reasons that job seekers fall victim to these scams - it's important that job seekers are equipped with the relevant knowledge, enabling them to identify potentially fraudulent job adverts.
Information provided through fraudulent job adverts can be used in a number of ways by criminals, including identity theft.
Chair of JobsAware - previously known as SAFERjobs - Keith Rosser, says:
With the way we work and look for work continuing to evolve, job scams are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated. We know how damaging it can be to fall victim to such scams now more than ever. That is why it's important to educate and arm job seekers with the understanding and support they need to recognise and report suspected fraud.
Job scams: spotting the signs
The below infographic shows the common signs to look out for, when applying for a job.
