Job Offer with Promise of Immigration to Canada
Consumers looking to work and move to Canada will find job postings all over the internet. Fraudsters will often use the name of companies that exist in Canada; but, list their contact information. Consumers may complete various applications. These applications may request personal & financial information that could be used for identity fraud. In some cases, fraudsters will schedule and host a video interview. Almost immediately, fraudsters will congratulate the consumer on getting the job. The victim will be contacted by someone claiming to help them with the immigration process. The fraudsters may claim to be from CANADA HIGH COMMISSION of IMMIGRATION CANADA. Fraudsters will ask for money for a many reasons (passports, permits, visas, traveler’s cheques, etc). Too often, Victims will send money many times before they realize that the job does not exist.
Warning Signs – How to Protect Yourself
- Find job postings at www.jobbank.gc.ca.
- Visit the Immigration & Citizenship pages at www.canada.ca for all related information & to submit applications to travel, study, work or immigrate to Canada.
- No one can promise faster immigration application processing times or guaranteed approval.
- Research the hiring company, read reviews from employees, and contact their human resources department to confirm that they are hiring.
Work from Home : Financial Account Manager / Customer Service / Data Entry / Personal Assistant
Fraudsters use free online classified websites to recruit potential victims. Some consumers receive an email offer where the Suspect claims to have found their resume online. Consumers reply to the ad or email offer to become a payment processor. Consumers are asked to receive payments into their personal bank account. Victims receive cheques (by mail or mobile deposit) or e-transfers deposited into their bank account. After receiving payments, the Victim is told to keep part as their pay. Finally, the Victim is told to send money back to the Suspect company through money service businesses (Western Union or MoneyGram), cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) or buy gift cards. In a variation of this scam, the Suspect says that they are sending you money to buy the supplies required for your new home office. The Suspect will provide a company name and the banking details for the Victim to pay. In the end, all the money received by the Victim does not exist and they have been sending their own money.
Warning Signs – How to Protect Yourself
- Beware of unsolicited messages offering employment.
- Be mindful where you post your resume. Scammers use legitimate websites to seek out victims.
- Take the time to research an employer and confirm that they are hiring.
- If you receive funds for any reason from an unknown individual or company and you are asked to forward it elsewhere - DON’T!
- A legitimate employer will never ask you to accept money into your personal bank account. They will also not send you money and request a part of it back.
Quality Control Officer / Client Service Strategist / Secret Shopper / Personal Assistant
Consumers receive a confirmation that they have been selected to be a mystery shopper. The Victim receives a cheque and some instructions in the mail. Victims are asked to deposit the money into their personal bank account. Then, Victims are asked to withdraw most of the money, but keep some of it for themselves. Victims are instructed to deposit a large part of the money into a specific bank account. Victims may also be asked to make small purchases; including gift cards. The gift card numbers are provided to the fraudsters to confirm that they work. At every step, Victims are asked to complete and submit a customer service survey based on their experiences. The surveys are a prop to convince Victims that the job is real. Victims later find out that the cheque they deposited is fake and they now owe money to the bank.
Warning signs – How to protect yourself:
- Never respond to an unsolicited text or email.
- Be wary when a “company” uses a web based email address instead of one from their personalized domain.
- If you receive a cheque or funds deposited to your account in response to a job, inform your financial institution immediately.
- If a job sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If you think you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
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