THE National’s exposé on fake jobs has saved jobseekers in developing countries and in Scotland from being conned out of thousands of pounds.
We revealed last week how ruthless fraudsters had set up bogus firms to target people in struggling countries across the world and trick them into believing they had secured a job in Glasgow.
They were told they could come here to work on a three-year contract with a fake construction company called MCC if they parted with £1,200 in fees for a visa, work permit and other documentation.
One jobseeker from Kenya spoke of how people had given up everything and even sold their homes in the hope of a fresh start in Scotland.
Earlier in the month, we also told how another elaborate scam was aimed at conning unemployed Scots out of cash for criminal record checks after telling them they had secured jobs with fake firm Waterhouse Warehousing.
Our special reports have helped stem the growing problem by alerting jobseekers all over the world to these ruthless scammers.
Keith Rosser, Glasgow-based chairman of SAFERjobs, which was set up by the Metropolitan Police to help protect jobseekers and employers from criminals, said at least seven people from Scotland and abroad had contacted him after seeing the reports.
He said fraudsters are using Scotland’s reputation as a construction and engineering mecca to lure innocent people into their web of deceit.
Rosser said: “I don’t think it is a coincidence that a lot of people contacted us after The National’s stories
“About seven people, which is a substantial number given that we normally get about seven a month if that, and they were all related to Glasgow.
“I think it was the information that The National put out that prompted more people to realise perhaps they had been the victim of a scam or were currently going through the job offer process and realised it wasn’t genuine when they saw the stories in your newspaper.
“All of a sudden, in the same week as your recent article we get a large number of reports, all to do with Glasgow.”
He said he received information from a worried jobseeker in South Africa who had applied for a job at MCC Construction in Glasgow.
Rosser explained: “We had contact from someone in South Africa saying they had gone through the application process for this company featured in the paper, MCC Construction.
“He was offered a three-year contract with them and told him to get in touch with a made up tour company. He was asking if he should get in touch. He has obviously seen your article and was asking for our advice.
“The good news is that the majority of people who had reported it hadn’t given any money after reading your articles.
“This is a great response and it tells me that this is the tip of the iceberg and there are plenty of other fake companies out there. Where we get one victim coming forward, we know there are many more out there.”
Rosser has been contacted by Police Scotland interested in working with him to raise awareness.
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