THE PSNI in Derry are supporting a national campaign launched today warning graduate jobseekers at Magee campus to make sure they don’t become victims of online fraud.
Hundreds of thousands of soon-to-be-graduates and school leavers will start the hunt for their dream job in the next few months as their final year of college or university comes to an end.
With over two thirds of all graduates starting their search online , Get Safe Online, the public private joint internet safety initiative, is urging them to take precautions while looking for jobs.
Figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau based on actual reported crimes across UK police forces show that in 2014, the most defrauded jobseekers were between the ages of 18 and 25.
Tony Neate, chief executive of Get Safe Online, said: “It’s a difficult time for jobseeking students as the statistics tell us that few of them will leave university or college with a job secured.
“The process of finding work in such a crowded environment can be frustrating and, for many, an element of desperation will set in.
“Unfortunately, these are exactly the conditions that scammers like to operate in.
“Given the emotional distress that can accompany a graduate job-hunt, and the fact that this demographic is likely to have very little financial security, these figures are a great concern.
“This is reflected in the data collected by the NFIB which records over a quarter of those scammed as having experienced significant negative impacts on their health or financial well-being.”
Further examination of the figures shows that, on average, victims lose approximately £4,000 when they are scammed.
Although scams that look to fraudulently secure £100 were the most successful, one victim reported losing £195,000.
Detective Chief Inspector Douglas Grant, from PSNI Organised Crime Branch, said that although PSNI has not received any complaints of such fraudulent activity in the North, he would encourage jobseekers to follow the advice provided by Get Safe Online.
“Those seeking employment outside Northern Ireland where this type of fraud is more prevalent should be careful,” said DCI Grant.
There are a number of different ways in which jobseekers could be defrauded.
These range from direct financial scams to misleading job descriptions.
Jobseekers don’t need to lose money to become victims.
The most common channels which scammers used to approach job hunters in 2014 were email (35 per cent), websites (22 per cent) and by phone (18 per cent).
At their core, these dangers are no different from those found in other regions of cyber-space.
Scammers are banking on graduates failing to take the necessary precautions to identify the organisation they are dealing with.
Importantly, this means that fraudsters can be easily avoided once jobseekers know what to look out for.
The joint law enforcement organisation SAFER-Jobs suggests several steps which any graduate should take when dealing with a potential employer:
1. Never Part with Money – employers should pay you, not the other way round. If asked to pay for security checks, visas, training, or anything else, you should research the job, the company, and never use any associated company suggested to you without conducting independent, thorough research.
2. Never Take it on Face Value – have you received an ‘out of the blue’, ‘too good to be true’ job offer? Be sceptical and ask questions. Why and how have you been contacted, what is the job, did you apply? Be wary of any non-business, generic email address (such as Hotmail and Yahoo), poorly written job adverts or job descriptions, and emails or contact at unusual times of the day (unless pre-arranged).
3. Never Do Everything Online – whilst technology is a great enabler to help people find work, at some point your job discussion should lead to an interview or a meeting. Hiring agents who keep the relationship solely to email must be treated extremely cautiously.
4. Never Fail to do Research – find out about the company that the job is with and do your research! Check landline telephone numbers and call the end employer to check the job exists. Use social media and sources such as Companies House and LinkedIn to dig deeper into the organisations and people you are interacting with.
5. Never Phone them for an Interview – premium rate phone scams are common. This is where an individual calls a pay-for number thinking it’s an interview, when actually they are paying for every minute they stay on hold. If an employer wants you to work for them, they will call you.
6. Never Accept Money for Nothing – with money mule scams on the increase, beware of any employer promising ‘get rich quick’ or ‘earn thousands working from home’. When cheques begin arriving it is easy to be fooled into being used as a money mule.
7. Never Provide Personal Details – be suspicious of any requests for personal data ahead of an interview or registration meeting (if an agency). Until you have the job, keep bank details safe and only provide identity details once you have met face to face.
• For general advice on how to stay safe online go to www.GetSafeOnline.org.
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