An investigation into reports of a fraudster offering jobseekers fake jobs at a Yarm pub has been closed, police said.
Around 10 potential victims of a scam came forward after applying for apparently non-existent bar jobs advertised for the Union Arms, on Yarm High Street.
The pub had no connection to the job adverts, which were placed in Middlesbrough JobCentre in September last year.
A number of job hunters spoke to the Gazette and the police after applying for the jobs and subsequently discovering they were not real vacancies, fearing they had handed over their personal details to a scammer looking to commit identity theft.
Cleveland Police investigated the claims but say the probe has now come to an end.
One of those who came forward was 27-year-old Stephen Grafton, of Middlesbrough, who said at the time he was “disgusted” to discover the job he was so pleased to be offered did not exist.
Stephen, who is now in a full-time job, said: “When it all happened and I went to the JobCentre in Middlesbrough. They told me it had been passed over to the police by them and I should go to the station to report it myself.
“I went, and a few days later I received a voicemail from the police fraud department saying it was being investigated and someone had been arrested.
“It’s a shame to hear it has been dropped.
“I suspect no fraudulent crime was committed as he was caught before any damage could be done to us.”
A 29-year-old man from the Middlesbrough area was arrested on suspicion of fraud before being bailed pending further enquiries. He was later released without charge.
A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: “An investigation was undertaken and a man was arrested in connection with the incidents.
“The evidence was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service and it was decided that the man should be released without charge.”
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