Five top tips to avoid employment scams
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Thu, 25 May 2023 13:37:40 +0000
Employment scams rang in as the fifth riskiest scam in 2022, according to the BBB Canadian Risk Report. On average, 1 out of 8 people who encountered the scam ended up falling for it and becoming a victim (12.5%), with $3000 in median losses.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland BC and Yukon shares the case of an international student in Vancouver who was hired as a remote data operator in December 2022 by a scammer posing as an employer at an established Canadian media company. The student was provided an employment contract and asked to share government-issued ID, proof of address, bank statements and banking information for payroll. The student paid for work equipment, expecting to be reimbursed. When the reimbursement cheques started bouncing back, the student ended up finding out that the job was not real, and neither was the recruiter!
Aaron Guillen, Media and Communications Specialist, BBB serving Mainland BC and Yukon, says that while this company was hiring, this particular job was fake!
“Our Investigations Specialist found that there was more than one incident where a job-seeker was lured into this same hiring ad and counterfeit website combo. It’s so unfortunate to hear about this kind of story, because this student was trying to make some income with a part-time job and they were thrown for a loop with this scam,” he says.
Here are BBB’s top five tips to avoid employment scams:
Be wary of job offers that don’t require an interview. If a job offer is presented without an interview or meeting you in person, question the company’s hiring practices and do a little more digging. If you use a separate email address when applying for jobs, you can avoid fake offers from scam employers you did not contact.
Employers will never ask for upfront payments. Be careful if a company promises you great opportunities or a big income under the condition that you pay for coaching, training, certifications or directories. These expenses are the employer’s responsibility and asking for money is a big red flag that something is wrong.
Government agencies post all jobs publicly and freely. Government jobs never charge for information about jobs or applications for jobs. You can go on the Government of BC or Government of Canada websites directly to see job openings for yourself instead of a third-party job listing website.
Never deposit unexpected or fishy checks. Be cautious sharing any kind of personal information (including your banking and credit cards) or accepting any kind of prepayment or overpayment. No legitimate job would ever overpay an employee and ask for money to be wired elsewhere.
Be cautious about the information you share in a resume or job application. Online applications usually won’t ask you for your birthday, banking information, or proof of address until they actually offer you the job. According to Service Canada, you are not required by law to provide your SIN before you are hired. If you’re ever feeling unsure about the amount of information an application is asking you for, consider it a red flag and research the employer name and the word “scam” to see if there are any reports involving job scams.
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