Scammers targeting job seekers on social media

Several people in Greater Manchester have fallen victim to social media employment scams with incidents costing victims up to £1,000.

In the past week five people have reported job scams on Tik Tok to us.

Scams usually involve:

• Directing victims to fake websites or Telegram groups
• Charging a registration fee before access to job listings
• Promising quick profits in return for “small investments” in cryptocurrency or trading platforms

Detective Sergeant Stacey Shannon, from GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “A job scam is a fraudulent scheme where criminals pose as employers or recruitment agencies to deceive job seekers.

“These scams can take various forms but the ultimate goal is to either steal money, personal detail - or both.

“Scammers often use fake job listings, impersonate reputable companies, or contact victims directly through social media, emails, and even job boards.

“Victims may be asked to pay upfront fees for training, provide sensitive personal information, or accept fraudulent job offers that lead to financial loss.

“These scams do not just target those actively searching for work. Some fraudsters contact people out of the blue with unsolicited job offers, making the opportunity seem too good to pass up.

“Scammers create videos claiming to offer easy, high-paying remote jobs, often requiring minimal effort.

“Many of these scams target young people looking for flexible online work, making them particularly dangerous.

“If you believe you have fallen for one of these scams, please report it to the police.”

What should you do if you’ve been a victim of employment fraud?

• Stop all communication with the ‘agency’ but make a note of their details and report it to Action Fraud.
• If you’ve given them any money, contact your bank immediately.
• Warn the operators of the website where you placed your CV that their site is being used by fraudsters.
• Don’t give any more money to the scammers. If you have, then call your bank to let them know.
• Protect yourself against employment fraud
• Check any documents for poor spelling and grammar – this is often a sign that fraudsters are at work.
• Ask the embassy representing the country where you believe you will be working how to obtain a visa and how much it costs. Check that the answers the potential employer gave you are the same – if they’re not, it may be a sign of fraud.
• Check official records to confirm that the organisation offering you the job exists. If it does, contact the organisation directly through officially listed contact details to confirm the job offer is real.

There is more information on our website to spot and report fraud: Personal fraud and how to prevent it | Greater Manchester Police