Ottawa Police are warning you to keep an eye out for fake job offers. There’s a scam making the rounds.
These fake jobs can come from anywhere, police say. They could be found on a job site or in the paper, or may come from an unsolicited text, or email, especially if you’ve posted your resume online.
The jobs are sometimes described as a “secret shopper” position. Other times, the victim is led to believe they’re helping a new business in the city.
According to police, the scam works like this: The victim applies for the job and is told they’ve been hired. The suspect then cuts a cheque or sends an e-transfer and the victim is told to deposit that money in their personal bank account. The victim is then instructed to “test” the money transfer system at a particular bank, by wiring that money to a different account, or to shop for pre-paid gift cards, sending them to the suspect.
After the payment is made, the victim learns the cheque or e-transfer was a fake, and they’re out the difference, possibly ending up overdrawn or with a frozen account.
Police say it's a reminder that you should never send money to someone you don’t know or trust.
The Ottawa Police Service Organized Fraud Unit is asking persons who are or have been victims of this scam to contact the Ottawa Police and make a report at 613-236-1222 ext. 7300. The call centre is actively tracking all complaints and forwarding them to our Organized Fraud investigators. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by downloading the Ottawa Police app.
