Seven Hertfordshire Residents Scammed Over £200k in Job Fraud

In June, seven residents of Hertfordshire, including individuals from Cheshunt, Watford, Broxbourne, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hitchin, and St Albans, were scammed out of over £200,000 by fraudsters posing as reputable recruiters. The scammers contacted job seekers via WhatsApp, text, social media, or email, convincing them to complete daily tasks through an app and then demanding equivalent payments to release their earnings. Senior Beacon Fraud Hub manager Elaine Crate warned that legitimate recruitment agencies never ask candidates to pay fees, advising caution especially when approached directly with unsolicited job offers. She emphasized that requests to deposit money are a clear red flag and recommended verifying the legitimacy of the recruitment company through official websites or company registries. The police urge job hunters to be vigilant about offers that sound too good to be true, involve simple tasks requiring no qualifications, or ask for payments upfront. For further advice on avoiding such scams, individuals are encouraged to visit Action Fraud and local police cyber-fraud resources.