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In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received a total of 70,878 reports and 37,047 of these reports were victims of mass marketing fraud.
— Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2023
Job scams are a type of fraud that could cause serious problems for you as a job seeker. Watch the video below to learn more about job scams. 👇
How do you protect yourself from falling victim to job scams?
You'll need to identify the difference between a fake job and a real one.
How to Identify Scams: Part 1
If it sounds too good to be true, it typically is! Look out for these warning signs:
The offered wage is higher than the average wage for that job.
The job posting isn’t on the real company's job page.
Your online resume is all they require to hire you.
Take a look at the job ad below:
Quiz
Is this job ad a scam? Or real?
The "job" offers a high income and a wide range of jobs and perks. However, there's no company name in the ad, which is a huge warning sign.
How to Identify Scams: Part 2
Here are some further warning signs to look out for:
The "employer" wants to conduct the interview through Google Hangouts or texting apps like Telegram, TextFree, TextNow, or WhatsApp.
They offer to hire you with no interview at all.
The company has an email domain from free, insecure accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail.
The company requests confidential information during an interview or before hiring you (your home address, driver’s license, passport, SIN, credit card info, etc).
The job description is unusually vague.
The contact information for the employer or company is missing.
The company requires payment from you to get the job
Take a look at the job offer email below:
From: Regina Smith <interviewdesk.bignamecompany.reina@gmail.com
Date: Mon, Feb 20, 2023, at 10:18 AM
Dear applicant,
Your resume had been reviewed by the hiring manager. We believe that you have the required qualifications to occupy one (1) among the listed opening positions in the company.
This is a strictly online work-from-home job, the working hours are flexible, and you can choose to work from anywhere of your choice. Payment is $25 per hour and $15 per hour for training. You will receive payment either weekly or bi-weekly via direct deposit or paycheck
The positions available are: Data Entry, Administrative Clerk/Assistance, Customer Service, Payroll Clerk, Executive Assistant.
Kindly text us at 555 256-5555 or email back if you are interested in proceeding further.
Kind regards,
John Allen
Quiz
Is this job offer a scam? Or real?
The company uses Gmail to communicate. The job offer doesn't include an interview. There are also some inconsistencies in the email (notice how the name of the person in the email address and the person signing the email are different).
Did you know?
You can get feedback on your resume from Rumie community members in our Discord Server. Come by, we'll help you get the job!
Take Action
Protect yourself from job scams!
This Byte has been authored by
Mitra Zouhmand
Social Worker/Youth Resource Facilitator