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What are job scams and how do I avoid them?
There are many different types of job scams. With the constant evolution of technology comes new and innovative ways that scammers try to take advantage of your vulnerability. They will find new ways to use your desperation to find a job to create new scams.
Some common job scams you should be aware of are:
- charging you a fee to help you find a job that doesn't exist
- texting or emailing you a request for a job opening that you never applied for
- texting you an opportunity to make "easy money" (this could include unreasonably high pay to work from home doing easy work)
- sending you a "signing bonus" before you even started any work with them
- texting you from a recruitment firm you never heard of (or using the name of a well-known firm) to offer you a job you never applied for)
- being asked to test out products for pay
- fake career consultants that compliment how great your resume is, and when you respond, they offer to improve it for a fee.
In Ontario, you are never required to pay recruiters or recruitment agencies to help you find a job, and you never pay to start a job. Legitimate agencies and recruiters charge employers to find candidates for them. You can get free help finding a job through an employment agency or job search preparation from a community employment service.
What do job scammers want?
In most cases, job scammers are trying to get you to send them money or to steal your personal identity. They often can ask you to pay an upfront “training fee” or ask you to deposit money into your account and then disappear with your money.
Scammers may also require you to provide your personal information, especially your Social Insurance Number (SIN) number, and then use that information to open credit cards or make purchases in your name. It is important to keep your SIN number safe at all times. Only provide your SIN number after you have had an in-person interview and have received a legitimate job offer.
What are the signs of a job scam?
You might come across job scams on job boards, in your email or while looking for jobs online. Here are a few similarities between job scams that should make you suspicious:
- You are required to pay a fee or provide your SIN number
- You receive an offer for a job you have not applied for
- A job posting or advertisement contains misspellings or grammatical errors
- A job requires no or little experience but pays well
- The company website does not show their address, a list of employees or their contact information
- You are contacted by someone using a strange or free email address (for example; @gmail.com, @yahoo.ca, @hotmail.com)
What can I do to avoid being scammed?
Use your best judgment when considering a job opportunity. Ask someone you trust to look at the opportunity and give you their opinion. A good rule to consider is, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
If you are suspicious of a job opportunity, you should research the company online by searching for their name and contact details with the words “scam” or “fake.”
The Anti-Fraud Centre has an article on common job scams such as car wrapping and mystery shopper jobs. They also have a section of other types of fraud you should be aware of.
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Last updated:
December 3, 2025
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