U.K. Background Checks to Avoid Fake Job Scams

The U.K. is facing its worst financial crisis in the past 15 years, and employment opportunities are scarce. Among the job openings on the internet, criminals and scammers are busy at work – posting fake job openings at real or fake companies with enticing pay and opportunities, and encouraging as many applicants as possible. Their objective is to gather your information, and steal your identity and cash. Experts advise caution and to get a UK background check for unverified companies and offers.

Keeping a queen rich and other vanities is just one factor in a long list of reckless spending which has resulted in the British paying among the highest tax rates in Europe. Purchasing power per capita does not jive with regular wages, and people are getting credit at high interest rates, in a high inflation economy. Companies downsizing, unemployment increases, and a constant immigration of people from developing nations have undoubtedly put serious pressure on the U.K. economy.

This scenario has made the U.K. one of the leaders of online scams in Europe, along with Spain, Russia and the Ukraine. U.K. criminals and scammers specialize in bogus lottery, pyramid schemes, business opportunities and fake job frauds, with more than 3 million victims falling to these scams annually. Many scams are in fact carried out by illegal immigrants in the U.K., desperate for opportunity, and protected by their immigrant status and trend of political correctness that ills the nation.

Law enforcement at the MET agree with private investigators that scams are costing U.K. consumers over $3 billion USD annually. The figure could be higher as many victims do not report this crime due to embarrassment, or other reasons. To avoid being a victim, experts say a UK employment screening is essential for identify risk factors, and to be certain you’re dealing with a real offer and company.

False job posting and websites promise high pay, great benefits, and more. Some even claim you don’t need much or any experience! First you have to send some information or payment to be considered for the opportunity, and the requests won’t stop until the criminal has what he or she needs.

If the offer is too good to be true, this is a major red flag. Be cautious about providing your resume to unverified parties via the internet, especially if your resume has personal information on it (which they normally do) such as full name, address, phone number, and work history. With this document, a criminal is well on his way to stealing your identity, and only needs to ask you a few questions to complete the scam and fraud. Although you might be skeptical, the criminals can be convincing, and the job offer may seem legit. For this reason, many cautious job seeking find themselves in a world of trouble, not only unemployed, but in further financial troubles and even at risk for identity theft.

When you get this kind of offer it is always important to learn how the person got your information and determine whether the offer is scam or not. In some cases, the only way to determine if the offer is valid is to contact a professional private investigator or international background check firm.

All the best,

S. Birch.
© 2011 S. Birch