When registering on a jobsite, first ensure that the site is reputable and has a physical address and landline phone number.

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1 Job searching online has become the most popular method of finding employment. Searching for the type of job you want is fast and easy, and you can see new jobs as soon as employers / agencies post them. However, like all online activity, job hunting carries certain risks which you need to be aware of and take precautions against, in order to stay safe. The Risks Fictitious job posts leading to fraud or identity theft. Phishing s enticing you to visit fraudulent websites. Unwitting participation in criminal activity. Divulging personal or financial information in online application forms and profiles. Divulging personal or financial information on your CV. Criminals hacking into your account. Unwittingly notifying your current employer that you are looking for a new job. Fraudulent work at home schemes where you not reimbursed for work done, or liable for expenses incurred such as postage and phone calls. Being tricked into paying money up front in exchange for the possibility of employment. Being tricked into paying money up front for non-existent CRB (Criminal Records Bureau or DBS- Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or CV preparation services. Your personal safety being compromised by bogus potential employers. Exposure to viruses and spyware. Safe Jobsite Registration When registering on a jobsite, first ensure that the site is reputable and has a physical address and landline phone number. 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 1

2 Most jobsites offer flexibility regarding whether you keep your profile public, confidential or private (non-searchable). Reputable sites will explain the difference, and you should choose the option most suitable for you. Never divulge private information such as your National Insurance number, driver's licence number, bank account information, credit card information, passport number or date of birth. Select and use a safe password and never reveal it to anybody. Safe CVs Never divulge private information such as your National Insurance number, driver's licence number, bank account information, credit card information, passport number or date of birth. Avoiding Money Laundering Some money laundering activities are perpetrated via criminals using other people s personal bank accounts to move stolen money. Never divulge personal bank account details until you have been successful in your application, and are satisfied that your employer is legitimate. Avoiding Scams If you receive an claiming to be from a potential employer who has seen your CV on a job site, take care when clicking on links and ensure they go to a legitimate job posting. Work at Home Schemes Work at home schemes are a favourite vehicle for fraudsters. Be particularly wary of envelope-stuffing, assembly work and medical billing or claims processing work. Legitimate work-at-home employers should be willing and able to answer a variety of questions about their programmes. Here are some questions to ask: What tasks your will have to perform (ask the potential employer to list every step of the job). Whether you will be paid a salary, or your pay be based on commission. Who you will be paid by. When you will receive your first payment. Other Information Ensure that a potential employer is genuine before meeting for an interview, to ensure that your personal safety is not threatened. 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 2

3 Ensure you have effective and updated antivirus/antispyware software and firewall running before you go online. Maintaining privacy whilst online is essential in avoiding identity theft and fraud. Apart from these risks, however, there is personal information about you which you undoubtedly do not want to reveal to certain other people. It is surprisingly easy to inadvertently give away your personal information online, especially when prompted to do so by an , on social networking sites or on company websites requesting information which they do not necessarily need to do business with you. In addition, certain organisations hold information about you which enables you to carry out transactions with them. These include government departments such as HMRC, financial institutions such as banks, building societies and insurance companies, retailers, search engines... the list is virtually endless. They are all subject to the Data Protection Act, but you still need to be vigilant about their use of your data. The Risks Identity theft Blackmail/extortion Defamation of character Unsolicited selling and marketing People using awareness of your activities and movements to act against you Employers using the information to exploit you How Your Privacy can be compromised Unencrypted and most website interactions can be monitored, including by your employer and your ISP. Via phishing - where an illicit prompts you to click on a link to a bogus website which will collect your private or financial information. Via vishing (short for 'voice phishing'), where fraudsters call you either on the phone or in person, to collect your private or financial information. Using unsecured WiFi networks both in the home/office and when out and about. Using unencrypted links for sensitive communications (for example not using a VPN to connect to the office). 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 3

4 Not using secure websites when banking or making online payments, including those for purchases. Not using strong passwords, not regularly changing passwords, not using passwords at all or revealing passwords to other people. Not using a secure or webmail account. Using a work account for personal . Staying logged in to a website or account when the computer/smartphone/tablet is going to be used by somebody else. Via spyware and viruses, including those that log your keystrokes to determine your online activity. Via physical keystroke loggers attached to the keyboard cable. Not storing personal or financial documents securely. Not shredding unwanted personal or financial documents. Being taken into people s confidence too easily. Maintaining Your Privacy Ensure you always have effective and updated antivirus/antispyware software running. In a public or work environment, check your computer physically for any unusual devices that may be plugged in, especially on the keyboard cable. Use secure websites when shopping or banking online. Log out of secure websites when you have finished your transaction, as closing the window may not automatically log you out of the site. Use strong passwords, change your passwords regularly and never reveal them to other people. Avoid using a work address for personal use. Instead, have a separate, private address for private business. Make sure your home/office WiFi network is secured. Store personal and financial documents securely. Shred unwanted personal or financial documents. Be careful to whom you disclose personal information. Where possible, avoid using your real name online. Be cautious about who is trying to befriend you online including via and social networks/dating sites. Be wary of disclosing personal information on a work or personal web site. Use a disposable, anonymous webmail account for websites that demand an address to register. Set clear guidelines for children about when and how they can reveal information. Additional Information You are legally entitled to request a copy of all the personal data that an organisation holds on you, known as a subject access request. The organisation is obliged to deliver the data within 40 calendar days, and may charge a fee of up to 10 to do so. 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 4

5 What to do if you have been a victim of online crime If you think you have been a victim of cyber-enabled economic fraud (i.e. where you have lost money) you should report it to Action Fraud, the UK s national fraud reporting centre by calling or by visiting If you are a victim of online abuse or harassment, you should report it to your local police force. Keep your money safe Never hand over money or give your bank details to a recruiter or employer to try and secure employment. A professional recruitment company or employer will not ask Job Seekers for money to process applications or to guarantee work Make sure the employer is genuine Professional companies will use company addresses and traceable contact numbers Check that the telephone number matches the location of the company's address Be cautious of job advertisements that have a foreign contact number. If you are uncertain whether an employer is genuine, then give them a call, ask for references or use an online search engine to see if anything of concern comes up Keep your identity safe Unless you are sure the company is reputable and the job advertisment is genuine, be protective of your National Insurance number, passport number and bank details. This is all someone needs to pretend to be you and make purchases or open accounts in your name If you are uploading your CV onto an online job board avoid including valuable identification details and definitely not financial details 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 5

6 If when applying for a job online you are asked to send a form of identification for them to scan to check your identity This is not a legitimate request Be alert to fictitious job offers If you have received an advertising a job you have not applied for Look out for job offers that claim they can make you rich quickly and offer incredibly high salaries for part-time hours, but require you to make an upfront payment to secure work or accommodation. A professional recruitment company or employer will not ask you for money to work for them Fraudulent individuals will often steal the reputation of a company and pretend to be advertising job opportunities in their name If you are in any doubt then call the contact number and make any checks necessary to confirm the authenticity of the company Examples of scams include: s offering financial, physical or emotional benefits, which are in reality linked to a wide variety of frauds. These include s posing as being from trusted sources such as your bank, the Inland Revenue or anywhere else that you have an online account. They ask you to click on a link and then disclose personal information. Phishing s Phishing is a scam where criminals typically send s to thousands of people. These s pretend to come from banks, credit card companies, online shops and auction sites as well as other trusted organisations. They usually try to trick you into going to the site, for example to update your password to avoid your account being suspended. The embedded link in the itself goes to a website that looks exactly like the real thing but is actually a fake designed to trick victims into entering personal information. The itself can also look as if it comes from a genuine source. Fake s often (but not always) display some of the following characteristics: The sender s address is different from the trusted organisation s website address. The is sent from a completely different address or a free webmail address. The does not use your proper name, but uses a non-specific greeting such as Dear customer. 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 6

7 A sense of urgency; for example the threat that unless you act immediately your account may be closed. A prominent website link. These can be forged or seem very similar to the proper address, but even a single character s difference means a different website. A request for personal information such as username, password or bank details. You weren't expecting to get an from the organisation that appears to have sent it. The entire text of the is contained within an image rather than the usual text format. The image contains an embedded link to a bogus site Use safely Do not open s which you suspect as being spam. Do not forward s which you suspect as being spam. Do not open attachments from unknown sources. Do not readily click on links in s from unknown sources. Instead, roll your mouse pointer over the link to reveal its true destination, displayed in the bottom left corner of your screen. Beware if this is different from what is displayed in the text of the link from the . Do not respond to s from unknown sources. Do not make purchases or charity donations in response to spam . Don t click on remove or reply to unwanted . Check junk mail folders regularly in case a legitimate gets through by mistake. When sending s to multiple recipients, list their addresses in the 'BCC' (blind copy) box instead of in the 'To' box. In this way, no recipient will see the names of the others, and if their addresses fall into the wrong hands there will be less chance of you or anybody else receiving phishing or spam s. Similarly, delete all addresses of previous parties in the string, before forwarding or replying. If you are suspicious of an , you can check if it is on a list of known spam and scam s that some internet security vendors such as McAfee and Symantec feature on their websites. Most Microsoft and other clients come with spam filtering as standard. Ensure yours is switched on. 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 7

8 Most spam and junk filters can be set to allow to be received from trusted sources, and blocked from untrusted sources. When choosing a webmail account such as gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail, make sure you select one that includes spam filtering and that it remains switched on. Most internet security packages include spam blocking. Ensure that yours is up to date and has this feature switched on. Online Booklet A Rough Guide to Online Safety hguide.pdf Report online fraud cases concerning UK employer details to: Ensure you always have effective and updated antivirus/antispyware software running. Always beware of people looking over your shoulder when you are entering private information on a computer, smartphone/tablet or ATM What to do if your Identity has been stolen Act promptly in order to minimise the impact of the theft Contact any affected websites and advise them about the problem If you can, log in and change your password immediately using a strong password 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 8

9 If you are unable to log in, contact the website s technical support department immediately for further advice Contact: 5/02/2015 EURES UK Labour Market and Recruitment Process Webinar Page 9