COVID-19 scam | Fake job ads set to rise, warns expert

False job advertisements have continued to rise amid the pandemic, with fraudsters attempting to take advantage of jobseekers desperately seeking work.

According to Metro, investigators have cited that these fraudsters have been ‘very quick’ to adapt during the crisis, and as such have posted fake job adverts to target those most vulnerable for opportunities.

SAFERjobs, a UK Government-backed charity working with police and industry, also recently shared that it has witnessed a 66% rise in fake jobs during lockdown, indicating that these con artists are successfully scamming individuals.

One jobseeker who was targeted was Steve Luetchford who applied for an HR assistant role. After receiving a promising response from whom he believed was a recruiter, Luetchford started to question the intentions of the ‘employer’ when details about the job were limited and questions were left unanswered.