Gumtree Job - Real or fake???

linzi15

Hi, I am hoping someone can help!

Last night I saw a job advertised on gumtree for a homebased position. It is data entry & excel work for a stockbroker - he is self employed by a huge company. He will give me access to email & I will work directly from this.

AS he is in the Finance sector, I must be credit checked through the FSA & he is also requesteing a PVG check (@ his expense). We have agreed hours & wage. I have now recevied an email from a person from "ManPower", advising they have been contacted by him to compete checks. They are requesting photo id, proof of address & a photocopy of valid debit/credit card (for FSA check).

To me, all this seems plausable, but I am cautious. I am taking this on as a second job& being a single parent this could make all the difference to my drowning debt. However, is my judgement being clouded? Is it too good to be true?

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have emailed this person to request contact details for them with a view to contacting their office to confirm their position.

Help please?

gb12345

linzi15 wrote: »

Hi, I am hoping someone can help!

Last night I saw a job advertised on gumtree for a homebased position. It is data entry & excel work for a stockbroker - he is self employed by a huge company. He will give me access to email & I will work directly from this.

AS he is in the Finance sector, I must be credit checked through the FSA & he is also requesteing a PVG check (@ his expense). We have agreed hours & wage. I have now recevied an email from a person from "ManPower", advising they have been contacted by him to compete checks. They are requesting photo id, proof of address & a photocopy of valid debit/credit card (for FSA check).

To me, all this seems plausable, but I am cautious. I am taking this on as a second job& being a single parent this could make all the difference to my drowning debt. However, is my judgement being clouded? Is it too good to be true?

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have emailed this person to request contact details for them with a view to contacting their office to confirm their position.

Help please?

What was the domain of the email address that you have to reply to for "ManPower"? It seems odd that someone would advertise on Gumtree and then use an agency like them to ask for a check to be done.

I'm also not convinced that an FSA check would require a copy of a credit/debit card.

Kayalana99

I did abit of googling...and *to me* it sounds that as of april 2013 that the FSA no longer actally exisits...feel free to read it as well tho and see if you come to the same conclusion?

Ill carry on googling a little but I think it sounds quite fishy...why ud need a FSA check for a simple data entry postion...? Seems abit far ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_Services_Authority

More info;

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/other/factsheet_approved.pdf

It sounds like this is a 'person check' more then a credit check...i.e they will do a credit check as well but want to have refences?! Idk how they do it to say your an honest person....my opinion..feel free to read & see what conclusion you come up with.

I wouldn't do it personally though...Why dont you email him under another account and see where that gets you?

linzi15

The email has come via gumtree as I have not given anyone my personal email address - it all being done through gumtree.

When I was employed by a retail bank (12 years ago) I had to provide the debit card for the credit check but things may have changed?

gb12345

Kayalana99 wrote: »

I did abit of googling...and *to me* it sounds that as of april 2013 that the FSA no longer actally exisits...feel free to read it as well tho and see if you come to the same conclusion?

They are now the FCA, reduced responsibilities and a change of name.

gb12345

linzi15 wrote: »

The email has come via gumtree as I have not given anyone my personal email address - it all being done through gumtree.

I doubt very much that Manpower would be working through Gumtree. They would want you to complete a proper application and deal directly with them.

I would send them a message and say that you don't feel that Gumtree's messaging is secure and can they provide you with a direct email address that you can send your documentation through - 99% certain you won't hear another thing from them or you will be asked to send it to a dodgy looking email address.

linzi15

Ok thank you everyone. I will take your advice & see if I get some contact information & take it from there. It seems like it was too good to be true :-(

Lou76

linzi15 wrote: »

Hi, I am hoping someone can help!

Last night I saw a job advertised on gumtree for a homebased position. It is data entry & excel work for a stockbroker - he is self employed by a huge company. He will give me access to email & I will work directly from this.

AS he is in the Finance sector, I must be credit checked through the FSA & he is also requesteing a PVG check (@ his expense). We have agreed hours & wage. I have now recevied an email from a person from "ManPower", advising they have been contacted by him to compete checks. They are requesting photo id, proof of address & a photocopy of valid debit/credit card (for FSA check).

To me, all this seems plausable, but I am cautious. I am taking this on as a second job& being a single parent this could make all the difference to my drowning debt. However, is my judgement being clouded? Is it too good to be true?

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have emailed this person to request contact details for them with a view to contacting their office to confirm their position.

Help please?

I know you've already had answers on this, but wanted to ask, why would a homebased job require you to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme?

Might be worthwhile asking 'him' that question.

A basic disclosure, for a finance role, would be enough.

linzi15

To be honest, I have no idea. It didn't occur to me. Thank you for your input - really is appreciated

Brassedoff

I advertise quite a few roles on Gumtree for clients. We do it as the system appears to work.

In the past I have employed two people for a company that is regulated by the FCA and the ID's you have mentioned are not required.

Firstly the FCA compliance contact you direct or an approved third party. The information they have access to is far more than you would ever believe once you have given written authority. They check your credit rating, right to work in the UK, that the NI number and bank details you have given are correct. They certainly never ask for a copy of your credit/debit card. The credit check will tell them if you have one and the state of the account.

I would be wary of giving these details over. Manpower do, do vetting services for both the UK and US company's. but what you describe is something quite different.

Lou76

Just to quickly add, before I head to bed; as a stockbroker, let alone a self employed one, the chances of him being a registered company for PVG is ... not a lot, unless he has a sideline, but even then, you're not applying for that type of role.

Individuals cannot apply to be scheme members, they must have a registered company apply on their behalf.

Are you even in Scotland? If not, even if you were looking to work with vulnerable groups, as in face to face contact, the PVG wouldn't apply - it would be the [old] CRB (I believe that's now changed names, but no idea what to ) that would apply.

Basically what I'm getting at.. eventually lol is; it sounds as though this person is trying to sound legit by throwing out references such as PVG (and offering to pay for it) which you may have heard of, or can Google & just see it's done by Disclosure Scotland, in order to look kosher.

The cynical part of me believes he may ask for passport/birth certificate details; as per a genuine PVG application, but...