![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/stopping-the-scammers-who-target-online-jobseekers/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/130999591_gettyimages-915451296.jpg&description=Image source, Margo Gabriel Image caption, Margo Gabriel says she had a lucky escape after being approached about a job "Last week via LinkedIn, a person who presented himself as a recruiter for a UK-based company hiring content writers sent me a message," says writer Margo Gabriel. "It piqued my interest, because the job would sponsor my relocation and work visa. He then said he would arrange an interview if I were interested - and I was." But Ms Gabriel's suspicions were raised when she was told that the job would actually be based in Saudi Arabia rather than the UK, and the "recruiter" was cagey about details. When she contacted LinkedIn, Ms Gabriel, who lives in Portugal, was advised to block him as a probable fraudster - and now believes she had a lucky escape. With more than 100 job applications submitted per second on LinkedIn, scammers are increasingly targeting jobseekers with fake job opportunities. Indeed, according to research from security firm NordLayer, nearly two-thirds of British users have been targeted. And the fake job ads aren't by any means restricted to LinkedIn, with scammers also exploiting other genuine, reputable job websites, as well as targeting university students directly by email. The scams work in two main ways. Image caption, Jedrzej Pyzik says scammers want victims to share personal details "You get a job offer with some basic information that sounds very interesting, and there is a link where they say that if I click, I'll see a presentation with details of the organisation and the job role," says Jedrzej Pyzik, a recruitment consultant at financial recruitment firm fTeam. "Then, after clicking through the link, there's usually some kind of landing page where they require you to download something and log in and give personal details - this is the most common one I've come across." That personal data can then be used to steal the jobseeker's identity, or even to open bank accounts or apply for credit in their name. Another frequen){kind=link}
“Last week via LinkedIn, a person who presented himself as a recruiter for a UK-based company hiring content writers sent me a message,” says writer Margo Gabriel.
“It piqued my interest, because the job would sponsor my relocation and work visa. He then said he would arrange an interview if I were interested – and I was.”
But Ms Gabriel’s suspicions were raised when she was told that the job would actually be based in Saudi Arabia rather than the UK, and the “recruiter” was cagey about details.
When she contacted LinkedIn, Ms Gabriel, who lives in Portugal, was advised to block him as a probable fraudster – and now believes she had a lucky escape.
With more than 100 job applications submitted per second on LinkedIn, scammers are increasingly targeting jobseekers with fake job opportunities. Indeed, according to research from security firm NordLayer, nearly two-thirds of British users have been targeted.