People looking for work should be aware of scammers that take your money or try to steal your identity through fake job advertisements.

• Job offers that seem too good to be true – such as high salaries for little experience or qualifications
• Agencies offering fast track security and police or DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks
• Being asked for your bank details, national insurance number or other personal details before confirmation of a genuine job
• The requirement to pay for expensive training courses in advance
• Emails offering tax refunds asking to submit your bank details
• Telephone interviews where the company asks you to call them.

These can all be warning signs that someone is trying to scam you. Take steps to avoid the scammers.

• Check the website is genuine and read reviews to get an idea of how trustworthy the company is:
• Don’t pay advanced fees for security and police checks, CV writing and work opportunities abroad.
• It is important to know that fast track DBS checks do not exist, so any offer of this is a red flag. Check if you need a DBS certificate for a job you want to apply for. A basic DBS will cost £23, and usually, the certificate will arrive in 14 days. For more information about what DBS you will need and the details you need to provide, read more at www.gov.uk/find-out-dbs-check
• Don’t give your bank details until you have a genuine job offer and paperwork to read through and agree to.
• HMRC (the tax office) will not email or text you to offer a tax refund. They will send a letter. Never fill in forms online with your bank details.
• Contact HMRC directly to find out if you are entitled to a refund. https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund
• Be wary of telephone interviews where you have to call a number for the interview, and be suspicious of job offers over the phone where no further contact has happened. A genuine or reputable employer will call you.

Visit JobsAware www.jobsaware.co.uk for more information. This organisation provides free help and advice to UK workers who have suffered from job scams or unfair working practices. The website also provides more information about current job scams and how to spot them.

To report an online scam or get further advice from Citizens Advice Scams Action Service, call 0808 2505050, or you can talk to an adviser online.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/check-if-something-might-be-a-scam/