You’ve received an email in your inbox, with the following title, “Congrats! You have been shortlisted for an immediate nursing job opening in the UK.”
You’re super excited. Your lifelong dream has come true, and you’re excited to take the next big step in your life. But wait! Before you believe this offer and shell out your hard-earned money on the name of GUARANTEED JOB, how can you ensure that you’re not being scammed?!
According to a recent research, 13% of job seekers have personally encountered a job scam, while 22% stated that they knew someone who is a victim of such scams. The country’s unemployment rate shooting up steadily since Oct 2016 is a boon to scammers. According to the Economic Times, there have been plenty of reported cases of scammers offering non-existent jobs, to unsuspecting victims who are desperately hunting for a job overseas.
Continue reading to find out how you can stay protected and avoid becoming a victim of job scammers.
Nursing Job Scams Abound, and it’s Easy to Get Scammed
The method of operation of these scammers may be different – you may receive an email stating that you have been shortlisted for a nursing job overseas. Or you may come across online job postings for overseas nurses in the UK. Or you may even receive a postal mail with a nursing opportunity in the UK, that sounds too good to ignore.
Well, not all these emails would be a scam but if you are asked to pay a huge sum of money in return to get the job, which can run from a few tens of thousands of rupees to even lakhs, then definitely you need to do some homework before starting to dream. The scammers would have set up an entire network that you’ll never suspect that something is wrong or off.
Irrespective of the mode of operation, you need to protect yourself from unscrupulous scammers, who exploit the vulnerabilities of unsuspecting job seekers.
Types of Overseas Nursing Job Scams
1. Identity Theft
Here, the scammers get you to submit your private information like age, birth date, bank account numbers, and more. They then use this information to commit identity thefts.
2. The Fees Scam
This is the most popular type of scam, yet several unsuspecting nursing applicants continue falling prey to this one. Here, the scammer entices you by showing you lucrative nursing opportunities overseas in the UK, USA, Germany, and elsewhere. They then set up a honey trap stating that you can bag a lucrative job overseas if you pay them the fees. Always remember, the recruitment is always free and that a talented candidate never has to buy a job.
The name they use for this payment can be any of the following – application processing fee, visa application fee, job services, fees to book your flight tickets, accommodations, and so on. Once you transfer the money to their bank account, they disappear without leaving any trace. All your hard-earned money goes down the drain.
3. The Contract Scam
This one has more disastrous consequences compared to the above two scams. Here, the scammer doesn’t trick you with a job offer that doesn’t exist. Instead, they process your applications, carry out the necessary paperwork on your behalf, and send you overseas.
Only when you reach your destination, you get to realize that you have been scammed. There are plenty of reported cases, where nurses from countries like India, Philippines, Nepal, and Indonesia have been made to sign private nursing contracts. The working conditions are poor, long work hours, measly pay, and if the victim wishes to quit, she has to pay a large sum as a penalty for breaking the contract.
Innumerable cases have been reported across the globe, including countries, such as UK, Australia, New Zealand, US and many more, where unsuspecting nurses from overseas are trapped in such contracts. The penalty for breaking these contracts can run up to thousands of pounds. This makes the victim be tied to the job, even if they don’t like the working conditions.
The best way to save yourself is to ask all related questions during the interview as the genuine hospital representatives are always very welcoming and are always ready to help you out with all you doubts and queries.
Here are some tips to help you Avoid Falling victim to these Scams
#1: Do Your Research
Before you respond to any online ad or email, you need to be diligent and check if the company is legitimate. Start by doing a Google search for that company. You can also add the term, “company name scam,” to see if there are any previous reports of complaints associated with the company.
Next, check the website of the company. See if it’s professional and is updated regularly. While researching the company, use the exact name of the company. This is because a few scammers have been known to use similar-sounding names of popular employment service providers to mislead applicants.
#2: Ask Around
Today it’s quite easy to dig the background of any company, thanks to the availability of social networks and online forums. Post on your social media pages asking information about the company from your friends, colleagues, and other members in your network.
Check if the company has a social media page. Take a look at the follower comments to get an idea if the company is legitimate or not.
#3: Don’t share Personal Details Immediately
Scamsters can use your personal information like birth date, preferences, and bank account numbers to break into your account and steal your money. Alternatively, they can also sell your personal information to third parties, who indulge in identity theft.
#4: Always Trust Your Gut Instincts
If you come across a fantastic nursing opportunity that sounds ‘too good to be true’; then it probably isn’t true. Some of the honey traps set by scammers include – sending you emails stating that you’ve been recognized as the best nurse at your workplace, or immediate openings that will be lost if you don’t respond quickly, no qualifications required, no experience required and so on.
All of these should raise red flags. If your gut instinct tells you that something is wrong, even if you can’t nail what’s wrong, then you need to get back to step 1 and do more research.
#5: Finally, Choose a Reputed International Recruiting Consultant to Guide You
Reputed recruiting consultants like Dynamic Health Staff have years of experience and expertise in the industry. We can guide you to the right opportunities while helping you stay away from existing job scams. We organize constant workshops to spread awareness about the industry and jobs availability. You can also visit our website and connect with us on social media – Facebook & LinkedIn. Our community of nurses and doctors is growing rapidly and we have only one target, to help you take the best career decision.
For more details on how to get a job as a nurse in the UK – the eligibility requirements, OET guidance, and more – get in touch with our expert career guidance consultants.
