CRIMINAL gangs are attacking the UK oil and gas industry with a sophisticated online fraud aimed at thousands of jobseekers.
Shell, Marathon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil are among the international firms now warning potential employees about fake job offers.
The scammers – who have also masqueraded as Petrofac, Sparrows, BG Group, KCA Deutag, Schlumberger and Amec – are obtaining details of industry workers and offering them non-existent posts.
Some are even advertising jobs listed on legitimate websites in an attempt to obtain personal information and bank details from unsuspecting victims.
They have been using the logos and names of respected firms to seek money from “potential employees” for visa and work-permit applications for various countries.
All the firms have put warnings on their job pages.
Chevron said: “Individuals will claim they are under contract with Chevron or a subsidiary to locate prospective employees for work on projects.
“These offers usually are sent via e-mail and will typically advise the victims they either have been hired by the company or may obtain employment with the company, and for a fee reaching as much as several thousand pounds, the individual will process the victim’s employment papers, tender offers, job applications and work permits.
“Victims are usually requested to send their fees, via a personal cheque or a money order, to a post office box either in the United States or another country.”
Shell has warned workers to look out for e-mails from outside addresses, bad English and requests for money. “We recommend that you do not respond to unsolicited business propositions and/or offers from people with whom you are unfamiliar,” the company said yesterday.
“Do not disclose your personal or financial details to anyone you do not know. If you receive such proposals, we would advise you to contact your local police and provide them with all information you may have. from the senders.”
Petrofac, which recorded 10 incidents last year, said: “It has come to our attention that there is an individual masquerading as Petrofac HR personnel who has been attempting to defraud jobseekers by sending bogus job offers.
“Please be aware that authorised Petrofac personnel will never ask for money from prospective employees and anyone being asked to send money in this respect should not do so.
“If you are unsure about the validity of a job offer, please do not send your personal details or any monies.”
Amec has also warned people against sending any money.
The company says: “Fraudsters are known to be contacting jobseekers and offering bogus employment opportunities that purport to come from Amec.
“We treat such abuses seriously and refer them to legal and enforcement agencies as appropriate.”
The Metropolitan Police has been investigating the incidents – most of which have taken place over the past year – and issued advice through companies.
The force said last night: “If an e-mail offering a job is received, some basic questions should be asked – did you register with the agency or company that is offering the job? Do the details check out, including the contact address and phone numbers?
“One should consider as to whether such requests are really necessary. Try an internet search on the company name and other details such as the Companies House registration number, directors’ names etc.
“Repeat the search with the word ‘scam’ and you may get hits on sites that list the fraudsters.”
The latest incidents are not the first time the industry has been targeted by internet-fraud gangs.
In 2008, a group faked Asco’s website to cheat unsuspecting foreign job-hunters out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Fake job offers were sent to employment hopefuls in India instructing them to send money so a visa could be set up.
It is understood that job offers were sent to people who accessed the bogus website – www.ascoworld-uk.com – believing it to be the firm’s genuine internet home page, www.ascoworld.com