Computer People request for details not a scam

01 September, 2005

Several months ago I made a post titled “Request for ID – scam?”, and then followed-up when I discovered it wasn’t.

I’ve just had a nice phone call from the legal people at Computer People who discovered my post via a search engine and asked me very nicely to clarify on the original post that the email was actually a legitimate request. So I have, and also linked to this post.

At the same time, just as I did to their legal department, I’d like to highlight that I did actually ask for clarification at the time, and didn’t receive any. I also spent a good amount of time searching their website for more details or information about this but couldn’t find any. I had to go as far as looking to see if any other recruitment agency websites mentioned it, and then finding the DTI Conduct Regulations on a government website (remember that the original email didn’t even tell me which regulations I would be complying with – I had to find out myself), and then reading it until I found what the email might have been talking about (it’s a fifty-three page PDF document).

I’ve had quite a lot of phone conversations with various recruiters from Computer People in the past six months, and they’ve all been pleasant, helpful, efficient and friendly. It seems a shame that their image can be so easily damaged by a poor email (actually, I received this email twice, the first one I replied to, the second one I ignored since my reply to the first one hadn’t been answered).

So just a reminder then, to Computer People:

Your “Request for ID” email looks like an identity theft scam. Include details of the regulations you’re supposed to be complying with. Reply to emails querying it.

Thank you 🙂

See other posts tagged with general and all posts made in September 2005.

Comments

Richard

12 October, 2005 at 17:39

Totally agree, I just had exactly the same experience.

It took 10 minutes for me to find the reference, it’s a shame that agencies don’t go to the same effort, but I guess this shows the general level of understanding or professionalism you can expect from the majority.

For Ref:
DTI’s GUIDANCE ON THE CONDUCT OF EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES AND EMPLOYMENT BUSINESSES REGULATIONS 2003

Regulation 19 – Confirmation to be obtained about a work-seeker, Section (a)

URL as on 12 Oct 05
http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/agency/conduct.pdf

Pip

12 October, 2005 at 17:53

Thanks Richard, I’m glad it’s not just me 🙂

I should also point out that I did link to and quote from that PDF on my previous post on the subject.

Anonymous

13 December, 2005 at 14:45

But but but, what use is it to send to someone a copy of passport etc when they have never set eyes on you? Totally useless as a means of proving who you are.

Pip

14 December, 2005 at 00:26

I know, and it’s only a copy of your passport, so easily faked.

Anonymous

12 September, 2006 at 18:29

Hi Phil
as below I hanv just recieved a similar request from:

From: Tango, Jade [mailto:Jade.Tango@People-Direct.com]
Sent: 12 September 2006 15:50
To: cferrey@tgis.co.uk
Cc: Orton, Ryan
Subject: People Direct – Proof of ID Request

Dear Christopher

Under new DTI regulations, we are now required to provide proof of identification when we propose a candidate to a client for consideration against a job vacancy.

We would appreciate it therefore if you could, by return, send us either a scanned copy by email, or a photocopy of one of the following documents:

Your passport or European ID Card, along with confirmation of your National Insurance Number

In addition, where applicable, please include a copy of your work visa.

Please send these details to:

Fax: 0207 440 3681

Email: jade.tango@people-direct.com

Post: People Direct, 33 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4NB

Thanks for your assistance. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely ( etc)

IS this a scam, or is it all above board??

Would appreciate your comments

many thanks

Chris ( c.ferrey@tgis.co.uk)

Pip

12 September, 2006 at 19:32

Well, it is true that agencies need these details (although note that still, to date, I’ve only had Computer People ask me, despite communicating with many different agencies).

I would certainly never send these kinds of details to an address (e-mail or postal) if I wasn’t 100% certain that they were going to the right place. A whois on the domain (I used http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp) showed that it people-direct.com seemingly belongs to a bulk registrar.

The address postcode in your email does match that on http://www.people-direct.com/contact_us.htm

So you have to ask yourself:

* is people-direct.com the real agency?
* did their email come out of an application you made?
* is there another way of contacting them to ensure the addresses are real? Like looking them up on yell.com or the dead tree version (Yellow Pages).

and so on.

If this was the first mail you’d received from them, I’d reply asking what they wanted these details for and what job they thought I might be interested in etc.

Good luck!

DEViNE

06 October, 2006 at 08:51

I personally find the idea of throwing my passport details around the Internet to be a very dangerous business.

A collegue of mine spent several hours in the detention cells of a German airport because he’d forwarded his passport details to a 3rd party, those details were then passed on to an individual who then used those details to create a fake passport in order to traffic drugs throughout Europe.

Obviously we found this funny, and left pairs of latex gloves on his desk as a “reminder” of those times, but his experiance of being branded an international drug trafficer has increased my reluctance to hand over this sort of documentation.

I would be happy to give an employer my National Insurance number and allow them to inspect my drivers license or passport, but there must be a justifiable requirement and a documented records management policy if they want to keep a copy.