Job scams that target first-time job seekers

When you are looking for your first job, an easy, well-paid offer can feel like good luck. Sadly, scammers know that students, newcomers, and first-time job seekers are eager to start working.

Fake jobs are used to steal your money or personal information, or to use your bank account to move stolen money. The good news: most job scams follow the same patterns. Once you know them, you can protect yourself.

Warning signs

You are asked to pay

A real employer pays you. You should not pay them. Be very careful if you are asked to pay for training, a starter kit, equipment, software, or a "deposit" before you can work or withdraw your earnings.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) warns about jobs that ask for upfront deposits, "upgrade fees," or "unlock payments." Its advice is simple: never pay deposits or fees to get a job.

Cheques and "payment processing" jobs

A common scam goes like this. The "employer" sends you a cheque and asks you to deposit it. Then they ask you to send part of the money somewhere else, for example to buy supplies or to return an "overpayment." Later, the cheque turns out to be fake, and you owe the bank the money (Competition Bureau Canada).

Another version hires you as a "payment processor," "financial agent," or "financial officer." You receive money into your own bank account, keep a small amount, and send the rest on, often to another country. This makes you a money mule. The CAFC warns that acting as a money mule can tie you into a money laundering scheme, and you could face criminal charges (CAFC: Money mule awareness).

Reshipping packages

Some fake jobs ask you to receive packages at home, then repack or relabel them and send them to another address. The RCMP has warned that criminals ask people to "re-ship products" as one way to move money from fraud victims to fraudsters (RCMP). People who move money for criminals can face criminal charges.

If a "job" asks you to receive and forward money or packages for someone you have never met, say no.

Contact only by personal email, text, or chat apps

Be careful if:

• You get a job offer for a job you never applied for.
• The "recruiter" uses a free web-based email address instead of a company email address.
• All contact happens by text message or on chat apps like WhatsApp, and they won't do a real interview.
• You are "hired" right away after a short text chat.

The CAFC lists an unexpected job offer and a web-based email address as warning signs.

They want your SIN or banking details before an interview

A real employer needs your Social Insurance Number (SIN) only after you are hired. Service Canada says you don't have to give your SIN to fill out a job application.

If someone asks for your SIN, your bank details, or photos of your ID before you have had a real interview or job offer, stop. Never share your online banking password with anyone, including an employer.

The pay is too good to be true

High pay for very little work is a red flag. So is "guaranteed income." Be careful with online "tasks," like rating products or "boosting" apps, where you see your earnings grow on a screen but can't withdraw them (CAFC).

How to check that a job is real

1. Search for the company yourself. Don't trust the links or phone numbers in the message. Find the company's official website on your own and call its main phone number.
2. Look for the job on the company's careers page. If a well-known company is hiring, the job should be listed there.
3. Check the business registry. In BC, you can look up registered organizations in OrgBook BC. In Ontario, you can do a free basic search of the Ontario Business Registry. Remember, scammers sometimes pretend to be real companies. A registered name alone doesn't prove the offer is real.
4. Search online. Try the company name with words like "scam" or "fraud," and read what others say.
5. Ask for a real interview. A video call or an in-person interview is normal. If someone refuses all of that, be careful.
6. Talk to someone you trust before you send money, documents, or personal details.

If you think you have been scammed

• Stop all contact. Don't send any more money or information.
• Call your bank right away if you shared banking details, deposited a cheque from the "employer," or sent money.
• Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Report online through the Report Cybercrime and Fraud system, or call 1-888-495-8501 (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern time). You can report anonymously (CAFC).
• Contact your local police if you are a victim.
• Report the posting to the job site where you found it. In Ontario, since January 1, 2026, job posting platforms must give users a way to report fraudulent postings (ontario.ca).
• If you shared your SIN, follow Service Canada's steps for SIN fraud and misuse. These include watching your credit reports and filing a police report.
• Keep records. Save screenshots of messages, the job posting, emails, and receipts.

Feeling embarrassed is normal. Scammers are skilled, and anyone can be fooled. Reporting helps protect other job seekers.

Next steps

• Browse entry-level jobs in Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area
• Know what a real interview looks like: Your first job interview
• New to Canada? Read Your first job in Canada as a newcomer