New scam targets job seekers
A NEW scam targeting job seekers has hit every district of West Yorkshire, police say.
People looking for work, predominantly young people aged 18 to 22, are being hit when they respond to fake job adverts on the internet and are tricked into handing over their bank details.
In all cases reported to the police, victims have applied for a job by emailing a Hotmail email account, rather than a company email account. They have then been telephoned by a man purporting to be from the company advertising the vacancy – often well established businesses.
A brief phone interview takes place and the victims are asked for their bank details so that a credit check can be carried out against them.
Days later, the victims receive a further call from the fraudster, telling them that money has been paid into their accounts by mistake. This has happened several times to the same victim in some cases.
Actually, the money in the victims’ account is loan money the fraudster has taken out in their name.
They victims ‘pay back’ that loan money to the scam artist.
So far 20 people have been hit by the scam, costing them hundreds of pounds. Police fear the number of victims could be much higher.
One victim was a 20-year-old woman from Leeds who thought she had applied for a job at Harvey Nichols.
Several days later she was told £400 had been paid into her account by mistake. After transferring the money to an account provided by the suspect, the woman was targeted for another £400. She was then told that her job interview had been postponed.
She later realised a loan had been taken out in her name.
A 25-year-old man from Huddersfield has been arrested in connection with the fraud and is currently on bail.
Police are appealing for victims to contact them via 101. Officers are also urging people not to provide bank details to people over the phone, as the only time such details would be exchanged in any job application would be in writing at the point of formally accepting a job.
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Weather for Batley
Thursday 23 May 2013
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