The lockdown has created ideal conditions for scams that target jobseekers. Charlatans are exploiting the fact that recruitment is now largely conducted online or by phone, and job losses mean a flood of people are looking for work.
One tactic used to trick the unwary is to ask for payment for a Disclosure and Barring Service, or DBS search, which used to be known as a CRB check.
One job seeker in Bristol thought she had struck lucky after a phone interview for a position as a healthcare assistant. “It began very professionally,” said the woman, who’s asked me to just use her first name, Shan. “The telephone interview seemed proper, they asked for references and said they had to do a DBS check.” Once she had paid £45 by bank transfer for