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Warning over sits vac scams
JOB seekers are being warned by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Service to look out for sits vac scams – bogus work ads that are designed to rip-off unwary people seeking employment.
Bruce Treloar, Principal Trading Standards Officer, said: "On a number of recruitment websites aimed at attracting multiple applicants, the consumer is required to respond to premium rate telephone numbers.
"Most recruitment websites are genuine. But there are some that prey upon the unsuspecting. Candidates who forward their CVs are approached by the advertiser who explains they have a good chance of securing the job – but recommend using a professional CV writing service to enhance their chance of success before they can be put forward for interview.
"In some cases it has been found that the job opportunities are bogus and the websites have been set up to encourage applicants to pay for potentially unnecessary CV rewrites – in one case this was 99."
Bruce reminds job seekers they can get their CV updated for free.
"Local Jobcentres can assist them by referring them to a Government funded body locally. It's called First Steps and will – free of charge, subject to certain criteria – suggest any amendments necessary," said Bruce.
Trading Standards has drawn up the following pointers for those using the online recruitment market:
Beware of sites that redirect you to others. You might start out with a '.co.uk' and be moved to a '.com', which could emanate from anywhere in the world!
Be suspicious if details of the employer are vague while details of the job are very precise.
Be concerned about salaries that are higher than you might expect.
Look out for a list of impressive skills required followed by 'no experience needed'.
Read the small print – bad grammar or spelling should cause suspicion.
Only give your first and last name – middle names can help scam operators identify your details.
Be wary of giving out your postal address. It is not needed with email services – a general location will do.
Be wary if the email address does not contain the name of the company, but just the name of a service provider such as Yahoo! or Hotmail.
Look out for disclaimers, such as 'these firms are now recruiting' if you see impressive corporate logos. It does not mean they are recruiting through the website in front of you. These logos are almost always unauthorised.
Always check with your local Jobcentre for advice and contact details of your nearest First Steps office.
Peter Evans, County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: "The continuing problems of job security in the recession means there are many people who may be tempted by these fake ads.
"The underlining rule is: If it looks too good to be true – it probably is."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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