Protect yourself from CV identity theft

It’s easy to underestimate the scale of the current identity theft problem, and if you’re not concerned about posting personal information such as your CV online, you probably should be.  ID fraud is one of the most serious issues facing people today. 100,000 people in the UK have been victims of ID theft in 2008, it cost’s the economy over £1.3 billion per annum.

Your CV contains a wealth of information which could be used by ID fraudsters to steal your identity.

There are more and more stories surfacing in the news about identity thieves gathering people’s personal information online, impersonating them and heading off on a spending spree, or worse.

Details included on a CV template will often include address, age, phone number, place of birth, date of birth, and personal information such as hobbies and interests. Couple this information with the personal information available on your profile on social sites like Facebook or MySpace, and fraudsters can gain enough details to steal your identity.

On the bright side, there are some very simple measures you can take to limit the risk of online identity theft when you are job seeking.

How to stay safe:

• Learn to treat your online CV with the same care as you would bank cards and PIN numbers. Make absolutely certain that you know where your CV is going before you hit the send button. Otherwise you could be transmitting personal details to an unidentifiable stranger in an unknown country.
• Don’t send your CV ‘blind’. When emailing a CV in response to a job advertisement, check out the company first before sending it so that you can be sure they’re legitimate. Most job adverts should contain a phone number, web URL or email address (including the company name).
• Be very wary of posting your CV onto an open forum. It can then be viewed by anybody around the world, including potential fraudsters.
• If you do choose to make your CV publicly available remember not to include a home address or phone numbers. In their place, type something like ‘contact details unavailable on public version’ and use your email address as the point of contact.
• On public job sites, check the policy regarding the privacy of your personal details and look to see if there is established user protection with password controls. 
• Be aware that there are bogus sites listing fictitious vacancies that obtain in-depth personal information from job seekers in the guise of background checks. Remember: details such as National Insurance numbers, passport number, banks details and home addresses are not necessary on a CV and genuine employers never ask for that information on a standard online CV template.
• Do not disclose personal information that is not relevant to the job you are applying for, such as marital status, mother's maiden name and age.
• Beware of wild, unrealistic promises of work.
• Never agree to pay for an offer of an interview.

You can never be too careful with personal information, and the risks associated with identity theft are high. Stay vigilant and look after your CV, and work with reputable recruitment agencies who are members of the REC. Check if a recruitment agency is part of the REC.