Does this sound weird? After all, why would some one want a couple of bits of paper about where you used to work.? I’ll get straight to the point. The way criminals operate has changed….
Vast amounts of crime now take place online. It’s because the Internet is the equivalent of an open bank, with no guards, no cameras and no safe. And here’s the bit that really gets my goat – its not the banks money that gets stolen – ITS YOURS.
So what has this got to do with my CV. Simple. Online thieves want your identity, so that they can take your money, use your credit cards, even get jobs using your identity, that their criminal record would prevent them from obtaining. There are 15 bits of personal information that the online Identity Thief wants, in order to steal your identity. Just three of these is enough to start targeting you. Recent research …has revealed that around 93% of CV’s contain at least three – some CV’s many more. Do you know how many copies of your CV exist? Can you remember who has them? What information is on it? I’m betting that you can’t be absolutely sure, and thus you are at risk. If you are thinking that this won’t happen to you, and anyway I’d get it all back in the end you’re in for a shock.
This year alone, over 4 million peoples ID’s were stolen from one leading job site. In the US, a recent study has shown that the current economic climate has increased this type of criminal activity by over 40%. Oh, and by the way, ID theft already costs every individual in the UK £231 per year (through the ‘hidden cost’ – which is the increase in prices and banks charges to cover the loss that businesses make).
The crazy thing is that protecting yourself is fairly simple. This 20 page free guide, packed with tips, resources and information, which was put together with a leading cyber crime expert shows you how.
Here is an example of a typical CV, and what you can do to protect yourself.
Take action now before you become the next victim.
Andy Gooday MD 
3 Responses to “Why Criminals Love Your CV”
Stephen 26 August, 2009
Excellent article Andy. Over 20 years in recruitment I have always been shocked at the amount of unnecessary private information on CV’s, including passport, National Insurance and Driving License details, as well as bank account information. This information should over ever be given when specifically asked for by someone you trust. Adding all of this to a public database on a job board really is asking for trouble.
A common scam in recruitment agencies have to contend with, is where a bogus client asks for temp staff, and the agency winds up paying wages to other members of the gang, using fake id’s. The bogus client then disappears before paying their invoices.
One tip for candidates. Add initials as your middle names for each site you add your CV to – JS for Jobsite, TJ for Totaljobs and so on. This way, you can tell where companies originally got your details from, when they contact you.
|Gary Franklin 26 August, 2009
Really first rate article Andy and cetainly one for all of us to note. As with Stepehens comments above i still cannot beleive it when people provide NI and Drivers license information but who amongst us would think that the information we take for granted could cause such a high risk. Thanks for highlighting. Makes Lib Dem MP, Lynne Feathrstone’s idea for amending the Equality Bill even more troubling!
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