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Job-hunters, be warned: A new employment recruitment scam has come to light where people are signed on as agents for "foreign companies", then used to unwittingly transfer stolen funds out of Canada.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, set up by the federal government to oversee consumer issues, says there have been several known instances of the scam. A job hunter who falls for the scam and unwittingly winds up being used as a "mule" to carry stolen funds out of the country automatically becomes an accomplice to the crime and can be prosecuted.
How It Works The employer, typically based in a foreign country, poses as a legitimate company looking on job recruitment websites for an agent to represent the company in Canada. The job is to accept payments from Canadian customers on behalf of the foreign company, and then transfer a portion of the proceeds offshore. The employer indicates that a key qualification for the position is that employees must be online banking customers, able to receive funds electronically, using Interac Email Money Transfer.
Once the employee receives the funds in his/her account, he/she is given instructions to transfer the money via a funds wire transfer service to a foreign address. As compensation, the employee or "transfer agent" is paid a percentage of the funds received and transferred.
What To Look For In order to appear authentic, fraudsters may present employment agreements, websites and other types of information, for example, a detailed contract outlining employee job responsibilities, compensation, etc. While these websites and employment agreements may present an appearance of a legitimate employer, the unusual trait that might arouse suspicion is the grammar, spelling and wording, which may contain errors or use odd wording.
Tips To Protect Yourself - Offers of easy money are often too good to be true. Web-based job recruitment efforts that require you to move funds outside Canada could be a front for an illegal operation. While the opportunity may look appealing, the job could be a scam, and a criminal offence.
- Check any employment-related information for unusual phrasing and look for misspelled words.
- If you are suspicious, check with local law enforcement.
Stay aware by checking the following sources of information about fraud:
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