Avoid Being a Victim of a Scam

Avoid Being a Victim of a Scam

by Rachel Abbott ( Academic Coordinator ) Many students living in the U.K consider working part-time in order to earn extra money whilst studying at a college, language school or university. This is a very positive step and is great for enhancing a C.V and for attracting future employers in the U.K and in the students’ own country. However, some criminals specifically target international students, pretending to be from a legitimate organisation, such as an employment agency or an education agent. It is important to protect yourself against such fraudsters in order to avoid being a victim of a scam. What is a scam? A scam is an illegal plan for making money, especially one that involves tricking people. People who commit such terrible crimes are called fraudsters. The most obvious sign that someone is attempting to trick you is when they tell you something that sounds too good to be true. The reality is that it probably is! How to Spot a Scam. If you get a call, text, e-mail or letter from someone unexpectedly, offering you a service, be very wary of them. Fraudsters may ask you for personal details, such as passwords to your bank accounts or your PIN number. Never give out this information to anyone, unless you have arranged a call or face to face meeting with somebody at your bank. Fraudsters will often push you to make a quick decision on a service they have offered you. They do not want to give you time to think. Never allow yourself to be pushed into making a decision about something. Always discuss any offer made to you with someone you trust before making a final decision on whether to try the service or not. One of the easiest ways to spot a fake company is if you cannot see any evidence that they exist in reality. Look for the company on the internet and look for a physical address on their website. Also, check the website for a phone number – preferably a landline – then call the number to see who answers. If an employee of the company answers the call, you can have some reassurance that this is a real company. However, if nobody answers or you are put through to a call centre, this may not be a legitimate business. Also, if you are not sure of a company, use a search engine like Google to find out more information on them, including what other people have said about them. You will soon find out if they are a genuine company or not! Advance Payments There are lots of job scams out there. A scammer will pose as a recruiter or employer and offer attractive employment opportunities which require you to pay money in advance. Some scammers will ask for money to do your C.V, others will ask for payment for work visas or credit checks. The majority of legitimate employment agencies will not ask for a fee before providing you with a service and the recruitment agency fees are usually paid by the company that hires you. Interviews Reputable companies are not going to offer you a job without interviewing you first. Some companies conduct interviews via Skype and this is common practice these days. However, if you cannot see the person who is interviewing you, ask them to re-arrange the interview for a later date and politely hang up. If they are a legitimate company, they will have no problem in re-arranging the interview. After all, technical hitches do happen! Signing Contracts You should never sign a contract in which you agree to pay a recruitment agency fees before they have given you a genuine service or training that you are happy with. If the agency charges you for services, you must be given full written details of what they are. These should include your right to cancel or withdraw from the services. If you are hired for a job, always ensure that you have a contract and make sure that you ask someone you trust to go through the contract with you before you sign it. Never sign a contract if you don’t understand what is written in it. To Sum Up If you follow the simple guidelines outlined above, you will find a job with a genuine recruitment agency in no time. Remember to always ask about the reputation of an agency or look them up online. For more information, please see the Frauds, Tricks and Scams webpage at Gov.uk.