Job scam leaves unemployed man out of pocket

Chris Murphy was charged £55 for a phone call that he thought would get him a job Credit: ITV News Central

An unemployed man from Nottinghamshire who was left out of pocket after answering a bogus job advert has branded the conmen "low life".

Chris Murphy called the mobile number given in the ad, but it turned out to be a premium rate phone line.

He rang three times but each time was put on hold and ended up being on the line for an hour. The calls cost £55.

Mr Murphy, 24, says he is unable to pay the bill, and as a result has had his phone cut off, making his search for a job even harder.

Andrew Penn from Nottinghamshire Trading Standards called it "a heartless scam" preying on people looking for work. He urged people only to respond to job adverts with landline numbers and to report anything suspicious.

Anyone affected can call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506 or PhonepayPlus consumer on 0800 500 212.