Emailing personal details to agents

Apa

I read the old thread on this forum "Sending copies of Passport/ID documents to Recruitment Agencies". Unfortunately the thread was closed long time ago. The prevailing opinion remains: any UK agency is entitled to ask for such documents, even forced to do so by the government, by a heavy penalty threat. However out of roughly 15 agencies who I dealt with in the past only two requested my passport during the first call and as a prerequisite of getting engaged, 'for compliance and audit purposes' they said. The others (including more reputable and well established in UK ) agencies did not mention it until after my application was successful and I was getting a contract. Awkward. Moreover, the two agencies, that demanded my passport copy from the start, did never come back to me and evaded me every time I hoped to reach them. As you know, UK passport contains my full name, date of birth, Home Office numbers and the 'pinnacle evidence of any court case and my ultimate liability' - my hand signature blueprinted. My question would be:
1. Shall I report those two 'agents' or just remain suspicious?
2. How can I differentiate an 'agency' (a person over the phone or email presenting him/herself as an agent) and a fraud scam?
3. OR, how can I politely assert to provide a copy of my passport later, when I get to know them or on getting the contract? Is there any term against their's “compliancy and audit” that would defend me from a scam without putting off and loosing good agents to my 'easy-going' competitors.

sangie595

It is up to the agency to decide at what point they request documentation to prove your right to work in the UK. If you refuse to co-operate with their process, they won't find you any work. What makes you think that any agency you have registered with is a scam and what evidence do you have for this?

agrinnall

Report them for what, to who? I actually think they were the only ones out of the 15 who were doing it properly.

Apa

Let me think. For me to have an evidence against 'agency' they have to commit a fraud using my identity, first. The second, I must be convicted for what they done and sitting in a jail cell with a free wifi posting in the forum - asking about how to prevent the scam. Wouldn't it be too late?

Savvy_Sue

Apa wrote: »

Let me think. For me to have an evidence against 'agency' they have to commit a fraud using my identity, first. The second, I must be convicted for what they done and sitting in a jail cell with a free wifi posting in the forum - asking about how to prevent the scam. Wouldn't it be too late?

Call me cynical, but I think if any agency had committed a fraud using a potential employee's passport details - just a photocopy of the passport, not the passport itself - and if that fraud had resulted in an innocent applicant being prosecuted and convicted and sitting in a jail cell, there would be someone, somewhere, outside the jail starting a petition on change.org to get them freed.

Ask the agency what security measures they take to keep your confidential details safe and get a grip.

Apa

"If any agency had committed a fraud..."

The agencies or banks, or NHS, or government never commit such a fraud! (you should know better). The identity fraud is committed by scam artists who pose as one of them. There were enough such cases and people were set up - the press loved it. And the truth is it's not as hard to pose as an recruitment agent, yet one can get your full history, date of birth, signature, contacts, copy of id (use it to get your credit history) with one phone call, never meeting you face to face. No banks or estate agent can do that, but the recruitment has this 'privilege'. I still believe It may not be so easy and that I miss something that others might know. Thus my questions 1, 2 and 3.
In regards to your suggestion, trust me, asking them about the security would do more harm than good. But thanks for trying.

agrinnall

sangie595

Just an observation, but this week there do seem to be quite a few new posters who post "hypothetical" questions and then simply argue with whatever answer they get because the poster knows all the answers already. I wonder if it is a coincidence...?

Apa

@sangie595 No. When you ask someone 'where is the nearest bathroom', you really mean it. The is no good if the someone asks you to prove it, or suggests you either get a grip and hold it or do it in your pants, or observing you aloud. Mind the question.

sangie595

Apa wrote: »

@sangie595 No. When you ask someone 'where is the nearest bathroom', you really mean it. The is no good if the someone asks you to prove it, or suggests you either get a grip and hold it or do it in your pants, or observing you aloud. Mind the question.

Excuse me? What on earth is that supposed to mean?

You claimed, without any evidence at all, that two agencies were scammimg your personal details for fraudulent purposes. Simply because they didn't find you any work. There could be a lot of reasons for them not finding you any work, especially if you normally go around making claims like that! You were told that your claims had no appearance of substance, and the next thing we know, you are ranting on about sitting in jail! Which you are not. And which you won't be. Because there is no evidence of any wrongdoing, except, possibly, your defamation of two agencies! You really need to get a grip. Going around making ludicrous allegations without any substance will get you in trouble. You cannot go around reporting people for things that they have not done and which are only in your head!

agrinnall

sangie595 wrote: »

...which are only in your head!

The tin foil hat will help with that .