Beware of scams targeting young job seekers!

Police have reported a rise in recruitment fraud attempts, with students particularly vulnerable due to their limited experience with the job market.

Victims typically receive fake job offers via text message or social media, claiming the sender has viewed their CV. The work offer often promises flexible hours, tempting salaries and other benefits.

Once hooked, scammers try to obtain payment for training or equipment, or they may attempt to harvest personal data.

Watch for these red flags:

• Messages that come out of the blue.
• Requests for money at any stage of the hiring process.
• Poorly written job ads full of errors.
• Emails from generic addresses (like Gmail) instead of official company domains.
• Lack of a credible online presence – always cross-check with official company websites or use trusted recruitment platforms/agencies.

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Further information can be found via the Action Fraud reporting centre: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/recruitment-scams

You can also report a suspicion of fraud in the education sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-fraud-or-financial-irregularity-to-esfa

For any other enquiries, you can contact the Counter Fraud Team at: counter.fraud@education.gov.uk