Seven job seekers scammed out of £200,000

Seven people have been scammed out of £200,000 after applying for fake jobs.

Hertfordshire Police said two people in Cheshunt and Watford each lost £70,000 after they carried out daily tasks through an app after they were targeted by fraudsters posing as reputable recruiters.

All the cases happened in June and were reported to Action Fraud, the force said.

Residents in Broxbourne, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hitchin and St Albans also lost large sums of cash.

A police spokesman said the victims were contacted on WhatsApp or text message by someone claiming to be from an online recruitment company.

They were asked to use an app called "app optimisation" or "data optimiser".

They were told they needed to complete a number of tasks and would be paid for each task, but were then told they would only get the money if they matched the amount they earned.

Elaine Crate, the force's senior Beacon Fraud Hub manager, said: "If you receive an exciting job opportunity sent directly to you via WhatsApp, text message, social media platform or email, proceed with caution, particularly if you have been actively looking for a job, as scammers often target individuals who are job hunting.

"Legitimate recruitment agencies will never ask prospective candidates to pay any fees.

"If you are asked to deposit money at any stage, this should be an immediate red flag."

The force urged people to check the company that is trying to offer them a job and if "payments sound too good to be true".

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