New fake recruiter scam emerges thanks to downturn, says Client Server – here’s how not to get duped
Your phone rings with that annoying unknown caller ID on the other end. Do you take the call? It could be an important lead for a new job, so you think what’s the harm? Taking the call may not be the biggest danger, but what you tell the person on the end, could be, according to Client Server Tech Recruitment.
The IT recuitment firm is warning jobseekers to be wary of a scam where individuals are contacting candidates pretending to work for different recruitment companies just so they can find out which companies are hiring, for which jobs and who they have sent their CVs to.
A number of candidates have been contacted in the last month by people lying about working for Client Server. They immediately ask candidates for the names of companies they are interviewing at or have had their CVs sent to. While you hear the questions, you may think, it may be a bit odd that a recruitment agency is asking me which companies I am applying to, but then you think, perhaps this is just all part of updating their records or scheduling.
Client Server Director Nick Boulton says the recent downturn has seen an unfortunate spike in the number of individuals lying about their place of work to glean information from jobseekers.
“Quite simply, this is a scam by desperate consultants and agencies,” Nick Boulton says.
“No legitimate recruitment consultant or consultancy will begin a conversation with a candidate by asking for the names of companies they are interviewing at. Consultants from the same company will never contact you to ask where you have been sent. That information is always available on the company’s CRM,” he says.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures when a downturn strikes,” Michael Oliver, Client Server Marketing Manager, tells The Freelance Informer.
Oliver says the exact source of the scam is still unknown, with deliberations leaning towards unscrupulous recruitment agencies or recruitment consultants. According to the marketing manager, the scammers are being especially crafty by not only using the Client Server brand, which accounts for the top 10% of the high-level CTO and senior level engineers, but also name dropping the actual names of Client Server staff members. That is what has caught people out and led to candidates divulging personal information about themselves.
Oliver says one way they have enabled candidates and clients to know that they are actually speaking with a Client Server member of staff is through the Client Server caller ID and office telephone number, which will show up on all calls and can be verified through a Google search of the office number.
According to Boulton, the fraudsters are taking advantage of Client Server’s strong reputation in the market to hoodwink people into sharing information about companies who are hiring.
“It’s an unfortunate fact that these incidents happen more during downturns but we find this behaviour abhorrent,” says Boulton.
How to avoid becoming a fake recruiter victim:
Jobseekers should not share information about their job search with a recruitment consultant without the consultant:
- Giving their full name, phone number, email address, company they work for, primary office location, and team they work for.
- Conducting a full interview
- Discussing the roles you are looking for and the salary levels that are appropriate
- Presenting you jobs that are relevant to your skills and requirements
Boulton encourages any jobseeker who is contacted by anyone claiming to work for Client Server who does not follow this process to contact Client Server immediately.
Have you had a similar fake recruiter call? Contact the editorial team to share your story.
