Police warn public about online job offer scams

Ottawa police are warning residents to be aware of the resurgence of a scam involving online offers of employment.

Police said the fraud begins with the offer of employment from a questionable source on the internet. Sometimes the employment offer is received unsolicited through text messages to a cellphone or personal email addresses. In other cases, people posting resumés online are being offered random jobs by unfamiliar organizations or businesses.

Those who respond to the offers are told that they have received the position and are sent payment from their “employer” by cheque, e-transfer or other means. They are instructed to deposit the payment into their bank account.

However, the payment is more than was agreed on and the new “employee” is asked to return the excess somewhere else. The transfer is usually requested in the form of prepaid gift cards or a direct deposit into a specified bank account.

After sending the money, victims learn that the initial cheque failed to clear. As a result, victim are left without their money.

The jobs advertised as part of the scam has included “secret shoppers” to test the services of a bank, store, or money transfer service. On other occasions, victims believe they are helping someone to set up a new business in the city.

Police remind the public not to send money to anybody that they don’t know and trust.

Anyone who has been a victim of this scam is asked to call 613-2361222 ext. 7300. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).