Employment scams: “Trust, but verify.” – Ronald Regan

As we are all aware, prices in Canada are rising. Statistics show that in 2023, over 1.1 million working Canadians held down more than one job. For some, it is a choice, but for many, it is the only option if they want to pay their bills. A second job might look like teaching music lessons in the evenings or working 18-hour days in two jobs. These long days take a toll on us both mentally and physically.

Many jobs are found through online ads and job sites such as Monster, Workopolis, and Indeed. An added stress in people’s search for extra work is the number of scammers posting jobs. Even reputable job boards are bombarded with ads that look like actual companies, regardless of how actively they monitor and filter the new job postings. Impostors will pose as a company or an affiliate. They may present themselves as a hiring agency that offers information that can help you optimize your chances of getting a good job. They often try to get money by charging you fees, banking, and personal information.

Employment scams rose during the pandemic. Many employers were moving to remote hiring, and fake job recruiters began posting online on social media and paid platforms. They created fake social media pages and LinkedIn profiles. Regardless of how platforms analyzed these scams, many still passed through. Always check the posting history of the page that you are viewing and the number of hits or followers. Many create fake websites and make them look very professional.

Things to look for:

• Upfront fees and purchases: You should never be asked to pay for a job. If someone wants to hire you immediately and requests money, it’s a scam. Reputable employers will not request your banking information before your hire.
• If a potential employer sends you a cheque, and you are asked to deposit it to your account and return a portion of the money through a money-transfer service, it is a scam. They may disguise this as a sign-on bonus. Cryptocurrency may be deposited into an account, but you will not have the ability to withdraw the funds. Do not be a money mule contributing to the illicit business of money laundering.
• Equipment purchases — A legitimate company may ask you to provide equipment for a remote position, such as a laptop. However, no one should ask you to pay directly to purchase equipment for you to use.
• Urgent hires: Although there are times when companies need employees, they will not hire you without asking questions, requesting credentials and interviewing you.

Please do your research. Verify company information by checking their official website. Use their contact information to verify that the job offer is legitimate. Protect your personal and banking information. We face challenging times and work too hard for scammers to add to our hardship. Stay safe.

The post COLUMN: Scams: Don’t take the bait! first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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