The Cornwall Police Service (CPS) is warning residents about employment scams that are happening in the Cornwall area.

How it works:

 1.    The scammer posts a seemingly legitimate employment opportunity on an employment website or Facebook group.

2.    The scammer contacts you with a job offer and initiates an online interview. Shortly after the interview, you are awarded the job. Money is transferred to you through e-transfers or a fraudulent business cheque or bank draft is delivered to your home. This money is for ‘equipment and supplies’ for yourself or a client. You are asked to deposit the money immediately and send it to the ‘client’.

3.    You have to send the money to the ‘client’ by way of Bitcoin and Ethereum crypto currency, iTunes cards, Interact e-Transfer, or direct deposit into a third party bank account provided by the scammer.

 Scammers are making themselves seem legitimate by creating fake company websites or cloning real ones. They are also using official looking employment documents like tax forms, personal information forms, and banking deposit information forms.

 Tips to help identify an employment scam:

 ·         If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

·         You were not required to submit your resume to the company’s official career website and the job posting does not exist on the company’s official website.

·         The interview is conducted through Google Hangouts, Telegram App, texting apps, WhatsApp, or no interview at all.

·         Emails are sent from free, insecure accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail.

·         You need to pay to get the job.

·         You are asked to purchase equipment for which you would later be reimbursed by the company. They tell you who to send the money to for the purchase.

·         You are required to deposit money into your personal bank account and transfer it to unknown persons/companies.

·         You are required to send money to unknown persons via Bitcoin or crypto currency, ITunes cards, gift cards, etc.

·         Check out comparable wages on the internet to see if the wage being offered is reasonably comparable.

·         Do an online search to confirm whether or not the company exists.

·         Find the phone number for the company you are applying for and call the company to verify whether or not they are hiring.

·         Do not send your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or a picture of your SIN card or driver’s licence to prove identity to anyone.

·         Do not send your banking information for payroll purposes unless you have confirmed that the company exists and is operational.

·         Confirm with your financial institution that all methods of money transfer to you are valid prior to depositing money or cashing a cheque.

What to do if you are a victim:

If you have been a victim of this fraud, or any other, scammers will continue to contact you because they know it worked before.  Take the following steps to protect yourself and cut off any way for them to contact you:

·         If possible, change your phone number(s).

·         Contact your bank and credit card companies.

·         Contact Equifax Canada  (1-800-465-7166)

·         Contact TransUnion Canada  (1-800-663-9980)

·         Report to CPS by calling 613-932-2110 ext. 3.

·         Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501).