Just because a job is listed on a well known website such as Universal jobs match or Indeed, it's important to realize that doesn't guarantee it's a genuine job.

I first became aware of fake jobs on Universal jobs match when I heard about someone who thought they were applying for a job with a bank. It was the applicants first experience of applying for a job after she had left college and she was asked for her bank and card details over the phone which she gave. Fortunately the applicant soon realized something might be wrong and went into a branch of the bank, only to be told they would never ask for this information from a job applicant over the phone.

A quick job search of the Universal jobs match website revealed a vacancy for pirates sailing the high seas and stealing treasure. Although I'm aware this was probably a joke or a test from someone wondering if jobs are checked before they are listed on the sites, it goes a long way in proving that they're not always checked, as this obviously wasn't a real job.

While the fake Pirates job was funny, usually the people behind these adverts have a more sinister reason for listing them and you could be at risk of getting scammed in some way.

I personally found a job listed on Indeed and emailed my CV. I was emailed back quite quickly asking me to send original copies of my passport, proof of address and N.I number to an address in London for a job in Manchester.

The advertiser was an agency but the job was unskilled and as Manchester has plenty of agencies, it seems odd that a company in Manchester would choose to go through an agency in London. Even if there was some explanation and this job was genuine, that's a lot of original documents to send through the post and there was no mention of how or when these would be returned.

In addition to this there have been reports of job-seekers getting duped into money laundering or selling goods on eBay, which don't actually exist.

I decided to see how easy it is to post a fake job on indeed and was successful. I removed my jobs listing within hours, but it showed how easy it would be for scammers to list a fake job.

Although it's never going to be possible to be 100% sure if a job advert is genuine, you minimize the risks by questioning everything. Why are certain details being asked for? Are they necessary? Could they be given later if successful? What could go wrong? If you're not sure about something ask someone you trust for their opinion. Don't simply rely on the job website in question to have checked and verified every listing because they may not have.