How does earning $600 - $1000 per week for a part-time job sound? Not too bad heh? Before you reply to any unsolicited job related emails or provide personal information, ask yourself if the job is too good to be true. Do your due diligence and be wary of the tactics used by the job scammers.

Common Job scams

Below are some job scams to watch for.

Become an Evaluator/Agent scam

You receive an unsolicited email asking you to contact them to become an evaluator or agent. If you reply, you will be asked to provide your personal and banking information. The fake employer will mail you a cheque and your assignment is to evaluate a bank.  You will be asked to deposit the cheque, keep part of the money and e-transfer the rest to another person or business. The cheques are fraudulent, thus making you accountable to pay for the funds.

Work Overseas scam

The fake employer promises a job in a foreign country and the student is invited for an interview in a hotel suite or rented office. The student is then told to pay a fee for visas or paperwork up front. In some cases, the fake employer asks the student to send money for an "information package" to secure the promised foreign job. When the student receives the package in the mail, it only contains a list of company names.

Bogus business opportunities scam

The fake company advertises specialized business opportunities such as Janitorial Service Franchise with phrases like "no experience required" or "experts available to coach you" in exchange for an upfront investment fee of several thousand dollars. The paperwork may show the student as a "sub-contractor" or "partner". The company then assures the student that the investment fee will be refunded after a specific timeframe.

Buying supplies/materials scam

The fake employer will offer you a well-paid job but ask that you send them money for job supplies you need to use right away (e.g., uniforms, special software or tools). Once you send them the money for these "supplies", you do not have a job.

Work-at-home scam

Students are asked for a small fee to learn how to earn lots of money by stuffing envelopes at home. After sending the payment, the student finds out that the fake employer never had any work to offer.

Phishing scam

Scammers will try to get your personal information by sending an unsolicited text or email responding to a resume you have posted. They will often say that you have the skills they need, but that they need some more information from you. Sometimes, they will direct you to an application or a background/credit check on their website that asks for personal information. This personal information can be used to steal your identity.

 

To avoid and report jobs scams:

Check out what the York University Career Centre has to say here