South Yorkshire job-hunters warned of online scam

Victims have sent personal details including NI numbers, copies of ID, and bank account details to a company called Apex Pharmacy.

“It’s only when they’ve received an email from the DWP, informing them that it is not a genuine application, that they realise they have been tricked,” said PC Joanne Wyke. “This obviously leaves them very vulnerable to such crimes as identity theft.

“We know there will be many people struggling to find work at the moment due to the impact of the pandemic, so it’s really sickening that these criminals are exploiting people who find themselves in this situation.”

Police advice is as follows: 

• Check job adverts for poor spelling and grammar – this is often a sign that fraudsters are at work.
• Beware if the employer provides a webmail email address such as @yahoo or @hotmail as a point of contact.
• Be suspicious of requests for payment such as admin fees.
• If possible, get in touch with the organisation directly through officially listed contact details to confirm the job advert is genuine.

If you think you have been a victim of a job advert scam, get in touch with Action Fraud on 03001 232040 or report online at actionfraud.police.uk.