Staying Safe In Your Job Search

Searching for jobs can be a stressful time and isn’t helped by scammers preying on the job seeker’s eagerness with faux job ads. A lot of personal and sensitive information is shared during the hiring processes and it is important to stay alert.

To make things a little easier we’ve put together some pointers on how to navigate the field:

What information should you include on your Curriculum Vitae (CV)?

A CV’s primary purpose is for employers to screen potential applicants on their suitability for a job role. It contains a lot of personal information including your name, contact number, email, employment/academic history; qualifications gained and where applicable, key skills/personal interests. 

There is a potential risk of identity theft if you share too much personal information, and other information that you should not feel obliged to share. Therefore there are some things to never include on a CV, these are:

• Your Date of Birth
• Your Full Address
• Passport Number
• Driving Licence Number
• National Insurance Number
• Marital status and number of children
• Credit card or bank account numbers
• Personal appearance details 

Spotting Scams

It is always wise to check the legitimacy of the company that you are applying to work for before sharing any personal information with them. You can do this by simply looking the company up on the Government’s website, Companies House, where the company should be listed along with their registered address. 

If the job is for a legitimate and even prestigious company it is still always worth checking on the companies official website for advertised job and to contact via the official website’s contact information. Fraudsters can lure you into a false sense of security riding on the back of a companies reputation.

How to Avoid Phishing Scams

As with most scams, phishing emails are on the rise and the job market isn’t an exception to this. The Anti-Phishing Working Group have put together a list of advice on how to avoid falling victim of these scams:

• Be wary of emails with urgent requests for personal information
• Phishing scams usually contain upsetting or exciting statements to evoke a reaction
• Typically ask for information – usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, national security numbers, DOB
• Avoid clicking on links, especially if they are coming from an unknown sender
• Only communicate credit card numbers, account details via a secure website or telephone

Reporting Fraud

One of the best checks for the legitimacy of a company is to check on the Companies House website, however it is also good to check if recruitment agencies are a part of trade-related associations as they will therefore have to abide by a certain set of standards. Lookout for accreditations such as: The REC (Recruitment & Employment Confederation), APSCo (Association of Professional Staffing Companies), and TEAM (The Employment Agencies Movement).

If you suspect that you’ve received a fraudulent email from one of out companies please contact us so that we can investigate and take the appropriate action. After reporting the fraudulent email, you should delete it from your inbox.

To stay safe in your job search we recommend that you visit SAFERjobs, a non-profit, joint industry and law enforcement organisation working to combat job scams. Visit the SAFERjobs website for information on common scams and to get free, expert advice for a safer job search: www.safer-jobs.com

Last edited: 1st June 2020