UK graduates targeted by job scams

As the new university term begins, students and graduates are being targeted by online scammers, with 41.9% of students admitting that they wouldn’t recognise the signs of a scam.

The study of 10,000 UK candidates from job site, CV-Library, in partnership with the e-crime non-profit organisation, SAFERjobs, found that of those that have been targeted, almost half (46.7%) suffered financial loss, parting with up to £2,600; a hefty fee for any student.

However, the majority of graduates are unaware of the threat, with 82.4% believing they are not being targeted.

Lee Biggins, Founder and Managing Director of CV-Library, commented: “This is an exciting time of year for students and graduates, who will be starting to think about their first job post-university. But, this could be hindered by the fact that scammers are out there targeting a cohort that is unaware of the threats and potential impacts of job fraud. Our findings suggest that a large proportion of young people wouldn’t recognise what a job scam might look like and this is extremely concerning.

“After all, while there are some great career opportunities out there for this age group, it’s also a crowded market. This means that an element of desperation can set in amongst graduates, which scammers will sniff out and take advantage of. Job hunters should stay vigilant.”

According to the research, nearly three-quarters of respondents (72.3%) do not think enough is being done to prevent job scams, with 82.9% revealing that they were not offered advice from their college or university on staying safe online. This is despite the fact that 19.7% believe that more advice from universities on conducting a safe job hunt would protect young jobseekers.

Other actions that participants thought could be taken included more awareness being made across the recruitment industry (20%), and increased partnerships between job sites and organisations such as SAFERjobs (17.3%).

Keith Rosser, Chair of SAFERjobs, added: “We are working to highlight the importance of staying safe online, particularly within the student and graduate market, where less experience could mean higher vulnerability. Any jobseeker can get free, expert advice at SAFERjobs; understanding the signs to look out for is crucial, whether this be an unrealistic looking salary, a job which requires no experience or a posting which is full of spelling mistakes.”