LONDON, March 6 (UPI) -- A review of thousands of jobs that may not exist, posted on a British government-sponsored employment website, has been ordered, a government minister says.
Employment Minister Esther McVay said 179 businesses, advertising 350,000 of the 600,000 positions offered on the Universal Jobmatch website, may be fraudulent.
Member of Parliament Frank Field said some job seekers were asked to pay 65 pounds ($109) to cover the cost of a criminal background check for a job, and later found the employer did not exist.
"Something rotten appears to be taking hold ... where the government is allowing fraudsters into the heart of its welfare operations. Anyone can place an advertisement on the site, in the space of five minutes," Field said
The Department of Works and Pensions, which administers government employment websites, is also under fire for allowing a position as a prostitute to be posted.
An advertisement, posted by a firm named Horny Escorts, described the position as "Female worker wanted to go out with guys maybe for evening or have full-on sex."
It added the job pays 10 pounds ($16.76) per hour, the applicant "must like sex" and no experience was necessary.
The unidentified manager of the business told the British newspaper the Mirror, "I put the advert up there [on the website] because it's a job site, and it's a job. I was a bit shocked they allowed it."
