How do you know if Nursing Agency is a Scam?

[priyaremi]

Hi all,

I recently started a full-time permanent position in chronic outpt position and this is my first position as a newly qualified registered nurse. However, as the pay is so low and I have a family to support, I decided to take some supplemental agency work and herein lies the confusion!!

The agency is not local and has offered me twice the money that local agencies are offering to work on a seriously under-staffed med/surg ward at a city hospital. I had posted that I turned down a permanent contract offered to me by said hospital due to no staff/patient ratio etc.

This agency has said that I do not need any experience and asked me to send all my details either by scanner or post but preferably by scanner as it will get there faster. I have never met the recruitment consultant and spoke only over the phone to him. Part of the application pack entails my sending passport photocopy and details, bank details for wages and a copy of my nursing registration certificate. Before I could start the application, the consultant informed me that he is sending me out my uniform and id badge. I replied that he does not have a photo but he said that he had taken one of my photos of a social media website!!!. I was really shocked and he says all is in the post!!

Do you guys think that this is very shady?. Double the money is hard to resist as I have so much to pay for. However, I worked very hard to become a nurse and do not want to risk my qualification in any way or worse patient safety and care!!. Please advise!. TIA.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

RUN! To me, getting a pic from a social media site is dangerous and akin to stalking. What if there were 2 Susie Jones , RN in your area and he got the other one. Bad news!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

That is...seriously bizarre.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

There is no reason an employer needs your passport details, nor do they need a copy of your nursing registration as it is public record. Report the agency to the department of labor and to the human resources department at the hospital that the agency is offering placement.

[sal92]

this sounds very fishy, i wouldn't trust this at all! some things are too good to be true sometimes. I would report them!

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Did you give the recruiter any bank details?

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

If you sent any information you need to report this to the authorities. That is identity theft and a complete scam

[priyaremi]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to my post. I was hesitant to send any paperwork to him when he said that if I scanned the paperwork he would get it faster!. He also said that he preferred to text me instead of email??!!. Therefore, he does not have my bank/passport details. Also, I informed him that as I was a new graduate that I would need to do my IV medication course in order to hang IV meds in a hospital setting (as per requirement in Ireland). He was very surprised and told me that there was a course up the country for 200 euro whereas there is the same course in my area for 80 euro. When I told him this, he said that he was delighted with this new information and proceeded to send out an email to his current staff saying that he had "made" his research and that all staff MUST do these "trainings" in order to meet compliance standards of the hospital!!!. He mis-spelled a lot of words in the job postings also. Just weird!. This does need to be reported. The money/pay they were offering for a new grad was far too good to be true!. Thank you all for your feedback and replies. I will steer well clear!!

[dishes, BSN, RN]

It sounds like a nursing recruitment scam, the scammers want you to use text because they have cell phones that delete the messages and are not traceable by the police. If you google nursing recritment scams you will see thousands of hits and the scammers are likely located offshore. I would report it to the bank, if the scammers use your information to commit identify theft it can negatively effect your credit rating. I would also report it to the hospital that the agency reportedly would place you at, the hospital can post a warning on their website,(this is what the hospitals in Canada did when their names were used by offshore recruitment scammers).

[priyaremi]

It sounds like a nursing recruitment scam, the scammers want you to use text because they have cell phones that delete the messages and are not traceable by the police. If you google nursing recritment scams you will see thousands of hits and the scammers are likely located offshore. I would report it to the bank, if the scammers use your information to commit identify theft it can negatively effect your credit rating. I would also report it to the hospital that the agency reportedly would place you at, the hospital can post a warning on their website,(this is what the hospitals in Canada did when their names were used by offshore recruitment scammers).

I did not send any bank details but he did text me to tell me my uniform was on the way and ask me what my registration number was. Like an idiot, I gave him my full home address and my registration number on a text message! I really feel like such an idiot and I should know better at my age! Thanks dishes.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

It's very possible he wanted your address so that he can commit identify theft, talk to your bank they have staff who are knowledgeable about this type of fraud. Do not be to hard on yourself, it's just a life lesson, you did the right thing listening to your gut and not giving him too much information.

[priyaremi]

It's very possible he wanted your address so that he can commit identify theft, talk to your bank they have staff who are knowledgeable about this type of fraud. Do not be to hard on yourself, it's just a life lesson, you did the right thing listening to your gut and not giving him too much information.

Thank you so much dishes. I will contact my bank and the hospital to inform them.