The fraudsters targeted job seekers by posing as reputable recruiters, who convinced the victims to complete daily tasks through an app. The victims were then advised that to receive payments for completed tasks they needed to pay an equivalent amount.

Senior Beacon Fraud Hub Manager, Elaine Crate, said: "If you receive an exciting job opportunity sent directly to you via WhatsApp, text message, social media platform or email, proceed with caution, particularly if you have been actively looking for a job, as scammers often target individuals who are job hunting. 

"Legitimate recruitment agencies will never ask prospective candidates to pay any fees. If you are asked to deposit money at any stage, this should be an immediate red flag." 

These are some signs that a job may be a scam and methods for identifying whether it is:

• Payments that sound too good to be true.
• Work that is simple and easy and requires no qualifications or training.
• Messages that claim to be from a recruitment company check the company's official website to see whether it recruits in this way.
• Searching the company name on Companies House or overseas registries to confirm that the organisation offering you the job actually exists. If it does, contact the organisation directly through officially listed details to confirm the offer is genuine.

Visit www.actionfraud.police.uk and www.herts.police.uk/cyber-fraud for advice on avoiding scams.