Recruitment firms hit by bogus worker scam

A fake firm posing as a legitimate operation is targeting recruitment companies to defraud them, police have warned.

The City of London Police explained that the criminals first contact agencies, claiming that they are seeking staff with particular skills, Personnel Today reports.

After registering, they proceed to send a fake CV to the same recruiters which exactly matches the skills required by the sham organisation.

Over £300,000 is thought to have been lost by agencies that pay the temporary worker's wages but do not receive any money from the bogus enterprise.

A spokesperson from the City of London Police told the news provider: "The crime only comes to light when invoices to recover the wages are sent to the false company and not reimbursed."

Meanwhile, the India Times reports that some major financial firms such as KPMG, which offers accountancy jobs, have been tightening their pre-employment screening to help reduce the chance of encountering false CVs.