Preventing fraud
Investment and employment scams
Protect yourself from job scams
Fraudsters pretend to be employers recruiting new hires. They try to lure you with a fantastic job opportunity that seems too good to be true. In turn, they ask for money and personal information, and tell you it's part of their application process. Learn how to detect job scams and protect yourself.
- Keep your money and information safe. Don't share your details with anyone.
- Don't respond to calls, text messages or emails from unknown numbers. Also, don't open any links in a text message from numbers you don't recognize.
- Check a job posting's legitimacy by visiting the company's official website or by calling.
In a job scam, fraudsters try to lure job seekers with fake career opportunities. They promise a high income for little effort. They may ask for your personal and banking information to use or launder money. If a job opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- A fraudster posts a fake job opportunity on job boards, such as Indeed and LinkedIn.
- The job opportunity often promises high income for little effort. These jobs are often disguised as work-from-home opportunities and don't require credentials or previous experience.
- You receive the job opportunity through an expedited hiring process, often without an application or interview.
- The employer asks for your personal and banking information and claim it's for hiring purposes. Then, they may use your personal bank account to launder money.
Warning signs of job scams
- The job posting has no contact information or job description
- The employer asks for payment for your training
- The employer asks you to pay for a credit report as part of their application process
- The employer asks you to buy gift cards, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency
- You're asked for personal details, such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN), or banking information, passwords, PINs and verification codes
- You receive an email that tells you the employer has reviewed your resume, even though you didn't send it
- Be wary of mystery shopper positions or work-from-home jobs that may involve receiving and reshipping packages
- Never accept money for someone you don't know.
- Don't rush to accept a job opportunity. Be cautious of jobs that seem too good to be true.
- Check your bank statements regularly for any unknown transactions.
- Always protect your personal and banking information, such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN), credit card number and passwords.
- Research the company and the job opportunity. Check out the company online, including its social media. In a search engine, enter the company name and the word "scam" to see if the business is legitimate.