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REC pledges support to new industry counter-fraud forum
The REC has joined forces with recruitment agencies, job boards and law-enforcement organisations in offering its support of SAFER, the counter-fraud forum for the recruitment industry, which was launched at New Scotland Yard today (Tuesday).
SAFER (Safe Advice for Employment and Recruitment) is an industry-wide forum, supported by the Metropolitan Police’s “Operation Sterling” which has been created to raise awareness and combat criminal activities which may be aimed at recruiters or those using the services of the industry, such as employers, candidates and employees.
The industry is particularly vulnerable to crimes such as the use of false identities to obtain state benefits while in work; gaining access to specific employers to tempt jobseekers with fraudulent services or conning service providers with non-existent jobs.
To help counter the threat of such criminal activity, SAFER has been set up as a not-for-profit association staffed by recruitment industry volunteers. Its aim is to provide a forum for information sharing and best practice between member companies and organisations along with a wide range of investigative, enforcement and advisory agencies.
Through it, members can further develop strategies for combating crime in order to protect their businesses and industry as well as helping those tasked with enforcing the law on fraud.
Kevin Green, the REC’s Chief Executive said: “As the representative body for the recruitment industry, it is imperative that we keep our members fully informed of any initiatives which will seek to protect their businesses from the threat of fraud.
“We are totally committed to working closely with all the other partners on SAFER to prevent fraud being perpetrated within our industry and welcome the chance to contribute towards any schemes which will lessen the risks in the future.”
The REC will be one of the key members of the forum and will play an integral part in helping to formulate strategies on behalf on its members in order to lessen the risk of fraud within the industry.
Similar initiatives are also being launched under Operation Sterling in other sectors such as hotels, construction and the travel trade, but it has been recognised that recruitment is one industry which impacts on all these other specialist groups.
For more information about SAFER, visit the website http://www.safer-jobs.com/
