Latest news with #fraudAlert
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Employment scams are common but there are ways to protect your money, personal info
Social Sharing With university graduates searching for post-grad work and students looking for summer jobs, the Better Business Bureau Atlantic is warning job seekers about employment scams. "These types of scams are problematic for sure throughout the year … but certainly, you know, instances of reporting can go up in more popular times for people to be looking for employment," said Julia Lewis, president and CEO of the Atlantic chapter. According to the bureau's national risk report, employment scams ranked the second riskiest scam in 2024. Lewis said this is because these scams have a high median loss at around $2,500. She said there's a few ways scammers target job seekers for money. One way is to put the applicant through somewhat of a hiring process, which is usually quite quick, and the scammer will say they're sending the person a cheque — whether it's for office equipment or gift cards for clients. "They will send the cheque, the person will go off to the bank, they'll cash it [and] immediately, they will get a message from the scammer saying, 'Oh, we've actually oversent money to you, can you please send us back a … certain amount?'" said Lewis. "They're sending that money back, unfortunately, before the cheque is cleared and, you know, the cheque never clears, and then they end up also being out the money that they sent." According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's website, there has recently been an increase in crypto job frauds. Using real names of companies, the scammers will offer people freelance jobs to boost products, apps or videos on a software. But once the person installs the software, they will receive tasks they need to complete and may receive a small payment to prove legitimacy. Then, the scammers will say you can earn higher commissions by boosting more products but the person will need to pay fees to gain access to that work. When the victim deposits the money, they'll be able to see it in their crypto account, but won't have the ability to withdraw it or the money they earn. Vigilance encouraged during application phase While employment scams don't typically occur during the initial application or contact, Lewis said it's always a good idea not to blindly apply to a posting without doing your own research first. Moncton-based Beverly Somers, the co-founder and managing partner for Smart Human Resource Solutions, said it can be a good idea to get in touch with the person listed on the posting or, for larger companies, see if you can find someone in your network who can confirm the validity of the company or job. She said the applicant could also check the company's social media pages, such as LinkedIn, to see if you have any contacts who work there. "It's a little bit of background work that, you know, people might need to do, but it's a good way … just to validate and make a connection with somebody in the company," said Somers, adding that it could also help ensure your application gets seen. Somers said when people are applying to jobs, they should never be required to provide personal information for an application such as date of birth, an address or your social insurance number. And Lewis said it's important for job seekers to look for indicators, such as a potential employer wanting to set up an interview over some kind of messaging app rather than a video call. The position may be advertised as a work-from-home opportunity, offering a salary that seems "too good to be true" for the role. "They're often wanting you to make a decision really quickly, so they may offer you the job on the spot … to get, in those instances, your personal information through social insurance number, your banking information, that type of thing," said Lewis.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Stockton police warn residents of potential phone scams
( — The Stockton Police Department is warning residents about potential phone scams in the area. Police said they were made aware of potential phone scams using the department's non-emergency phone number, 209-937-8377. Scammers reportedly call about involvement in fraud. Man disappears amid attempt to walk from Northern California to the ocean 'The Stockton Police Department wants to remind all residents that we will never call or contact you to request payment of any kind,' SPD said on social media. 'If you receive such calls, it is a scam. Do not provide any personal or financial information. If you have any questions or believe you've been targeted, please contact the Stockton Police Department.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
22-05-2025
- CBC
Door-to-door construction scams return to Ottawa this spring
Ottawa police are warning homeowners to be vigilant this spring as door-to-door construction scams return to the region — a perennial problem that doesn't seem to be going away. Det. Shaun Wahbeh said fraud investigators received a report of one of these alleged scams earlier this month, and he expects to hear about more. Wahbeh said the trend, which began about five years ago, tends to involve people coming to Canada from across the Atlantic and working illegally for cash. "So they'll have thick Irish accents, some people will say Scottish accents, and usually they get migrant workers to do all the legwork," Wahbeh explained. He said they typically follow the same pattern: A contractor will knock on a homeowner's door and pitch repair work to their foundation, driveway or chimney. Often, they'll say they're already working in the neighbourhood and will offer the homeowner a great deal. Wahbeh said they usually demand a deposit up front, and sometimes secretly cause damage to use as leverage. Typically, the contractors will start the work but won't finish, or do a very poor quality job. "They're technically not allowed to work in Canada, they're not even Canadian citizens. They're coming here, doing the work, getting the cash deals and then moving on," Wahbeh said. Police have issued warnings to homeowners in the past, including in 2023 when construction scams cost Ottawa residents an estimated $250,000 over the course of two weeks. Last August, police in Hamilton arrested two men from the U.K. whom police say arrived in Canada that June and were targeting seniors and other vulnerable people with a roofing scam. Bad for business Nick Ford, owner of Integrity Masonry in Ottawa, said he's been called by five separate homeowners over the past two years for help repairing damage left by alleged scammers. He recently got called to a property in south Ottawa where the homeowner had hired a company to repair his chimney. After setting up scaffolding and doing demolition, the workers never returned. Ford said the contractors ripped out a chimney cap, damaging the chimney liner. The homeowner must now hire HVAC installers to check for carbon monoxide risks. Ford said these kinds of incidents give his trade a bad name. "It's upsetting because ... there is that stigma with construction trades," he said. "These jerks are screwing people over, but ... when you're a legitimate operation you have to charge for your costs first." I feel like a fool for having engaged these guys, going door-to-door and doing such shoddy work and then disappearing. Homeowner John Holden said he's thankful he didn't pay the company a deposit up front and was able to cancel the contract, but he also filed a police report, worried others might fall victim. "I feel like an idiot, I feel like a fool for having engaged these guys, going door-to-door and doing such shoddy work and then disappearing," Holden said. He described the contractor who came to his door as a charming man in his 50s with what he described as an Irish accent. CBC attempted to contact the company that Holden hired to do the work, but there was no response by deadline. Warning the neighbourhood Across the city in Kanata's Beaverbrook neighbourhood, homeowner Jennifer Fryer issued a warning on social media after what appeared to be the same contractor did questionable work on her neighbour's property, prompting another police report. "This neighborhood is full of senior citizens and young families and it is a neighborhood that was built in the 70s, so there is a lot of work that may be needed to be done, but I don't like the fact that people are taking advantage and upselling the work that needs to be done," Fryer said. Her neighbour, who didn't want to be identified for fear of repercussions, told CBC the company they hired came knocking to do some parging along the foundation, but then the scale of the job escalated to the point where the contractor warned the house could collapse without an $84,000 repair job. After getting a second opinion, the homeowner suspected something untoward and contacted police. Fryer said she hired the same company to do work on her property, but after filing the police report she got her deposit back with an apology. "He has an Irish or Scottish accent. He is very persuasive and outgoing at first," she said, describing the man who came to her door. Ottawa police advise residents to ask prospective contractors for references, compare quotes and look them up on websites such as the Better Business Bureau.
CBC
15-05-2025
- CBC
Toronto police warn of phone scam where fraudsters claim to be Shanghai police
Toronto police are warning the public about a telephone scam involving fraudsters claiming to be officers from the Shanghai police. In a news release on Thursday, police said it is believed the calls are being used to obtain personal and financial information for fraudulent purposes. Police say individual scammers contact people by phone, claiming to be a member of the Shanghai police, and provide a false name and badge number. The scammer's caller ID appears as the phone number for the Toronto Police Service's 52 Division, police say. Police say the scammers claim they are investigating fraudulent credit card activity involving the person and the other end of the phone and asks them to provide personal banking information to stop the alleged fraud. "If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer, ask for their name and badge number, then hang up and call police directly to verify their identity," police said in the release. Police are also reminding people to never provide personal or banking information to someone over the phone and say that "any such request should be treated as a scam."
