North Sea oil workers are being targeted again in a sophisticated online scam aimed at conning job-seekers out of hundreds of pounds.
Total UK has issued fresh warnings this week to those looking to work for the company that scammers are offering fake jobs for a cash sum.
Those behind earlier scams have posed as recruiters for global companies such as Shell, Marathon, Chevron, Conoco-Phillips and ExxonMobil.
It is believed they are managing to obtain details of industry workers before 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”, supposedly to cover the cost of visa and work-permit applications for various countries.
Jake Molloy, regional organiser for the RMT union’s offshore branch, said the “appalling scam” had led to a number of north-east workers parting with their cash, only to be stuck without a job.
He said: “This is an appalling scam which is constantly being used to exploit guys who are looking for a job in the offshore industry.
“It is really important that anyone looking to start working for an offshore company should be aware that no employer in this industry would ever ask for anyone to pay for a job.
“This has been ongoing for a while now and it is almost impossible to trace those who are behind it.”
A spokesman for Total UK said: “We were prompted to post a message on Facebook because of a recent incidence of someone receiving a bogus job offer purporting to be from Total.
“Unfortunately, such scams are nothing new and are certainly not unique to Total.
“Despite everyone’s best efforts, they are virtually impossible to eliminate altogether and all we can really do is to keep drawing people’s attention to them by posting alerts on our website and other appropriate communication channels.
“We emphasise that neither Total nor any of the agencies we entrust with our recruitment will ever ask for money from applicants under any circumstances or at any point in the recruitment process.”