WhatsApp message from UC work coach

memyselfandi

Hi all I'm new here so forgive me if I've not gone about this the right way. I got a message on my WhatsApp from a number I am not familiar with. The person identified themselves and said they were a work coach at my local Jobcentre who I has dealt with once or twice in regards to my Universal Credit and they live near me and they wanted to say hi neighbour but couldn't due to policies at work and since they had stopped working for the Jobcentre they had decied to mesage me they said if I ever needed anything to drop them a text or just call. Is it my or is this a very strange thing and is odd that someone should have my number when I didn't give it out and had waited until they left the job to contact me and should I report it to my local Jobcentre or just allow it as a person who is just being friendly? Thank you 

Kimmy87

You absolutely need to report it to the Job Centre, if it is genuinely that person then they are breaking all kinds of very serious rules. 

Sandy_123

Stepping over the boundaries 

Adrian_Scope

Good morning @memyselfandi. I'm not an expert but I'd say this is a data protection breach and if I were in your situation I would definitely report it.

If they used to work, or still currently work for the DWP then it's unacceptable that they've used your personal information to contact you. 

There's also the possibility that it's part of a scam and they don't and never have worked for DWP. Either way, I'd advise not interacting with them and instead reporting the situation, especially if it has made you uncomfortable.

carbow32

Sounds like a scam to me.

WhatThe

My JCP coach offered me his personal number (as if..) and also tried to hit on a friend of mine. Ignore the message and report him. What a cheek when they know so much information about us and know we are vulnerable!

TheManFromLondon

WhatThe said:

My JCP coach offered me his personal number (as if..) and also tried to hit on a friend of mine. Ignore the message and report him. What a cheek when they know so much information about us and know we are vulnerable!

This! They have access to find the most vulnerable and target them. This is SO disgusting. This needs to be reported all over the place, including the Police, not just DWP. Who knows, that person might be a stalker, may be under your house as you read this, and this is not far fetched, he already had the courage to send this intrusive message to you. Totally off the charts here.

WhatThe

It's outrageous isn't it?

He's still there and it was in person. Promoted to UC claims from ESA having pulled the wool over my eyes and no doubt many others too. I'm old enough to be his mother, as is my friend, but that didn't put him off!

Even with (or because of) my autism, I usually know when a guy is interested in me but many young women are naive as well as being vulnerable. 

I was extremely vulnerable when I moved to my housing association property 15 years ago. The welfare officer/benefits advisor tried to groom me over several years and I was vaguely flattered at his interest. It was devastating to realise this could happen to someone of my age with all my experience.  
His post at the HA ended. No-one there would have believed me and I was unable even to put pen to paper at that time.  

TheManFromLondon

@WhatThe I am sorry you went through that. It makes you feel it's nowhere safe. I had a bad moment in the past with an employer, they wanted "more" of my work, not "just work". I was in a terrible place back then, fighting at family court with my own hands, without a solicitor because the legal-aid ones are **** (chap from legal-aiddidn't even know my name when the Judge asked them), and that employer back then took a great advantage of how important was my salary/job at the time.

Anyway, yeah, they see an autistic (I have aspergers) or any kind of vulnerable person and they lock their sights on them. I am sorry to say this, but I have come to a point I hate the everyday person, I am 50 and disgusted by personal relationships, prefer to be alone, I dont care about sexual life, having someone to support me in a deep level or even take care of me. It is people like that, abusing a powerful chair, or their high level login credentials that made me believe, most people, are trash, inside and out, no matter where you find them, what work they do, or where they come from.

Hell is other people.

WhatThe

Thanks for that - I reckon most people underestimate us and will never understand our autism or resilience.   

I must admit I feel the same. Much, much easier to be alone and I don't expect anyone to 'get' me anytime soon 

TheManFromLondon

I read that today and remembered this conversation, so I'll leave this here:

https://news.sky.com/story/mental-health-patients-raped-and-sexually-assaulted-in-nhs-care-as-national-scandal-revealed-13056678

This is 20,000 complaints across over 30 Mental Health Trusts.

This is here & now.

This is the dark side of vulnerability.

WhatThe

   escalating since lockdown as they were still using mixed-sex wards    an astonishing investigation by Sky and The Independent