Keith Rosser, who also leads the JobsAware drive and the Better Hiring Institute, has reminded Recruiter that the sector continues to be the focus of fraud attempts through two specific types – contractor fraud and impersonation fraud.

“We have been working with police, trade associations [the Association of Professional Staffing Companies, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation] and recruiters on the two frauds,” Rosser told Recruiter.

Contractor fraud involves fake contractors put into bookings where the agency pays the worker but never gets paid. Impersonation fraud involves fraudsters using real recruiters’ brands online to fool jobseekers into paying money or handing over personal details.

“The latter is far more common that the former,” Rosser said. “I would say it Is pretty much happening all the time, but the former is more impactful on the recruiter, where we have seen cases of £50k losses.”

Police agencies supporting the JobsAware fraud awareness drive are the London Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police.

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