Job and employment scams target people looking for a job. They often promise a lot of income—sometimes they even guarantee it—for little or no effort.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Work-from-home scams are often promoted through spam emails or advertisements online or in newspaper ads. Most of these advertisements are not real job offers. Many of them are fronts for illegal money-laundering activity or pyramid schemes.
You might get an email offering a job where you use your bank account to receive and pass on payments for a foreign company. Or you might be offered a job as a “secret shopper” hired to test the services of a cheque-cashing or a money transfer company. Some “job offers” promise that you will receive a percentage commission for each payment you pass on. Sometimes, scammers are just after your bank account details so they can access your account. They might also send you a counterfeit cheque along with instructions for you to cash the cheque and transfer a portion of the sum over a money transfer service.
A guaranteed employment or income scam claims to guarantee you either a job or a certain level of income. The scammers usually contact you by spam email and the offers often involve the payment of an up-front fee for a “business plan”, certain start-up materials or software.
There is a range of scams promoted as business opportunities. You may be required to make an upfront payment (for something that does not work or is not what you expected) or to recruit other people to the scheme (refer to pyramid schemes).
PROTECT YOURSELF
REMEMBER: There are no shortcuts to wealth—the only people that make money are the scammers.
CAUTION: Never send your bank account or credit card details to anybody you do not know and trust. If you cash the cheque and it turns out to be counterfeit, you could be held accountable for the entire monetary loss by your bank.
THINK: Don’t make any decisions without carefully researching the offer. Seek independent advice before making a decision.
INVESTIGATE: Beware of products or schemes claiming to guarantee income and job offers requiring payment of an upfront fee or sending money through a money transfer service. Make sure any franchise business opportunity is legitimate.
ASK YOURSELF: Did I get all the details in writing before paying or signing anything?