Fraudulent recruiters exploit the genuine stress of job hunting, offering suspiciously easy roles with high pay for minimal experience — then using the "hiring process" itself to extract personal information, banking details, or upfront payments.
A message, often via LinkedIn or WhatsApp, offers a remote role with excellent pay and minimal requirements. The "interview" process is unusually fast — sometimes just a text conversation — and quickly moves to requesting personal details for "onboarding": National Insurance number, bank details, and a copy of your passport.
Some versions ask new "employees" to purchase equipment upfront, promising reimbursement that never comes.
Check the recruiter's profile history and connections — a brand new profile with few connections is a warning sign.
Verify the company they claim to represent independently, via the company's own official website and the UK company register, not just information the recruiter provides.
Be suspicious of any role offering unusually high pay for minimal stated requirements.
If you've shared personal details, monitor your accounts closely and consider a credit report check. Report the fake listing to the platform and to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk.
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Check a company's real status on the official UK register before sharing any personal information.
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