... to think that JobSite should not advertise 'scam' jobs?

[ilsen1973]

Jobsite is the UK Gov digital version of the the old Jobcentre...
I was a contract worker but I hurt my back outside of work. So, stuck at home, no 'sick-pay', bills/rent mounting up etc. Am claiming benefits but can't cope.
I can work online/phone. I want to work.
I have been looking for these type of jobs, but the 'serious' ones I am not qualified for. (eg. high-level accountancy/finance/IT etc)

My AIBU is; Is right that the Gov website advertises blatantly obvious MLM/'scam' "home-business" jobs?
Surely this is preying on already vunerable people?
Normally you get directed to some random website/Recruitment Company, have to input loads of info/personal details before you learn it is all a bit dodgy and they want some money upfront.

AIBU to think this is just 'not on'?

So not on. I believe there was something about this in the papers...I'll have a look

Absolutely not on. Its bad enough with the recruiters wasting people's time with non-existant jobs, but for the gov website to have scam jobs is ridiculous.

PS: If anyone has any suggestions for 'working at home', these would very welcome!
I don't want to waste anyones time, so;
I am an Humanities Graduate, (Latin American Studies), fantastic at Customer Service and have some Sales experience, love literature and language, but not so good at science/maths/IT type stuff, more a 'people-person'.
Thanks for reading.

Violet
A few years ago I spent six months working for a small independent Recruitment/Temping Agency. We constantly advertised non-existant jobs. When I questioned the ethics of this my boss told me it was all about looking busy and building the company profile, also about collecting CVs so we could offer desperate people a few weeks in a call-centre whilst promising them 'something better soon'.
I bought into it for a while, because I was hungry and ambitious, but when I realised his lies also applied to me... I left.
I am not proud of this.

I am just a bit angry that the Gov/Civil Service (?) is actively promoting the same shit.
Or am I just naive?

We constantly advertised non-existant jobs. When I questioned the ethics of this my boss told me it was all about looking busy and building the company profile,

Fake it till you make it then, just like MLMs trying to sell you a lifestyle I'm looking at you, Forever Living.

YANBU. Be interesting to look in to this in more depth and raise this somewhere?

So sorry to hear of your trouble, ilsen. Shocke that an official government agency can promote scam MLM companies so-called job opportunities. They.Are.Not.

You can be a travel agent home worker. I have known people do very well from it, but most of the reputable companies require experience in the field. Might be worth looking into though with your customer service skills.

stopfaffing Thank you.

Thinking about it more, I guess the Gov JobSite is linked in to loads of Agencies, and all these computer-generated algorithims (sp?) just push you through to 'what-ever'.

BUT, effing But!! surely there should be some contract between the Gov and these Agencies about Proper Standards etc!!!

I do realise I am having a bit of a rant, but I have spent most of this week wasting whole days on this shit, when, quite possibly I could have been earning money, providing for mine own, and YES, paying bloody TAX !

ooh, I am so angry, wish I could afford some

Have a look at being a virtual PA or transcriber :)

Thank You pinkmagic

I will look into it tomorrow, sounds interesting, especially as I am quite well travelled and really enjoy getting other people to look at other cultures/countries. Equally, I would enjoy helping people find the 'perfect' holiday.
I feel better already ,

If there's a thread deserving of a Daily Mail 'journalist's' attention, it's this one.

Sounds like a great option! Just be wary as there are a few MLMs masquerading as home based travel agencies so make sure you're looking at the proper ones! Don't want to be out of the frying pan into the fire...

About 18 months ago, I was helping a dyslexic friend with his jobsearch. I came across a scam job..it was very tempting for most people wages wise and such. I did actually call up just to check how on earth these scam things worked as it was just a normal mobile number you had to call...as I had a PAYG sim with free minutes only I figured if call gets diverted or something then I will get cut off, not charged a bunch. Anyway, the way that one worked is for the person on the mobile number to claim manager is out right now and give a slightly more dodgy sounding number for you to call..upon checking thissecond number it was obviously premium rate.

I called up the jobcentre and told them about this scam...noone seemed to give a shit (why should they, its only the scrounging jobless who will get hit with it...) and 2 hours later it was not removed. The guy I had been helping told his advisor at that time as he was signing on that day. He was told not to 'insult' the intelligence of the staff who apparently vet all jobs that are posted on the site but he would 'report' it anyway. 2 hours later, job is still there. I then called back and asked to speak to a manager and was assured it would be removed by the end of the day and thanked for noticing the error. The next day, it was still there. And the day after that. At this point I was really annoyed and sent an email explaining the situation and giving the ad reference for them to check...to a few papers, and CCed the jobcentre email address. Oddly enough, a couple of hours after that the ad was pulled. So it seems under threat of it being made public how shit they treat jobseekers and how little they care about them, they do care.

To add, this wasn;t a home working job or anything like that. It was an ad for low skilled posts such as bar staff, waitress waitress, cleaner etc...wages 15 quid per hour, permanent post, etc. Obviously fake but to someone really desperate its possible they would fall for it.

Does anyone else think jobsite sounds uncomfortably a little too much like gobshite?

There have been examples of the more..comical fake job ads here also

www.theguardian.com/money/shortcuts/2014/mar/17/hitman-drugs-mule-fake-jobs-universal-jobmatch

But its really not a joke at all..

When I was on the dole briefly, my jobadvisor told me to apply for these jobs, even though they were obviously scams/fake. I tried explaining this to her, but her reply was a snarky, "Well, you're obviously a bit picky,.", which I definitely wasn't!

'Audit officer To make sure the government doesn't waste millions of pounds on a useless website at the same time as cutting public services elsewhere. Iain Duncan Smith need not apply.'

Is the personal fave of mine.

TCSinatra
yes, they bloody well should, guess they just prefer 'bottom-feeding' on wedding gossip than real issues, [humph! emoticon]

fastdaytears

ooh! Good advice, thank you. I will be cautious. Definitely will look into it tho. Just tired of kissing a lot of frogs, (work-wise), IYKWIM....
cool user name you have, I'm intrigued, (not being personal! just the juxtaposition of words! - any distraction welcome right now! )

A real homeworking job is working for sensee. You are a home based call centre agent answering calls for some huge companies. Details on the sensee website but dh was earning £7.75 ph

YANBU.

Thank you all for your responses. I have been feeling so down, and alone. It is so nice to have some support.

The jobs advertised are input by the employers, the way they are added to the system has changed, in the past Jobcentre advisers over the phone would take the job information and input it on to the system doing checks if the job was legitimate etc ...now everything is self service... 'streamlining' ... digital services....

I have a friend who has just been caught by these 'jobs' on jobmatch more than once. I have another who has been advertising for someone who told me there are no checks done at all. You 'simply' register and put your job up. Unfortunately I wasn't aware of the second friend advertising or I'd have mentioned it to the first.

The first went to a jobcentre 'start your own business seminar' last week and I had an email from her start of this week to tell me her good news that thanks to the businesses present and seminars she now is the proud owner of her own business and totally off benefits. Sound good? The name of her new business is Forever Living, already I've had emails about buying something just to help her get started.

Jobcentre don't care. She's off their books.

She's in horrendous debt already as she's under 25 and wasn't allowed to claim housing or council tax benefits so was paying them from her credit card.

To say I am [anger] is an understatement. She has no idea what she has let herself in for - the only reason I do is because I know someone else who had the same 'business'.

The jobs advertised are input by the employers, the way they are added to the system has changed, in the past Jobcentre advisers over the phone would take the job information and input it on to the system doing checks if the job was legitimate etc ...now everything is self service... 'streamlining' ... digital services....

--

So..anyone can advertise on there now and get people to send in their CVs and such? Seems a bit wrong. Just because you happen to be unemployed right now doesn't mean you have any less right to privacy with your personal details :/

There should at least be someone (or a few someones) employed to check over the self inputted jobs to make sure they are legitimate companies and such and real phone numbers used on the ads...

That said it probably suits the government quite well as they can continue to claim that there are 500k jobs available at any one time that these lazy jobseekers continue to ignore. No mention of like half of these being 'commission only' or fake homebased jobs, or agencies trying to bulk up their cli9ent list with no real possibility of work.