The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning Airdronians to be aware of employment scams, which are on the rise.
With Airdrie being one of the fastest growing communities in Alberta, a lot of new Airdronians are looking for jobs, and for this reason, it's important to be on the lookout for job scams, explained Wes Lafortune, who works for the BBB.
"The BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report was recently released, and the research indicates employment scams are on the rise, making it the second most riskiest scam in Canada,” says Mary O’Sullivan-Andersen, President and CEO. “These scams often begin with an advertisement posted online or even with what appears to be a legitimate company website."
Lafortune went on to talk about how this scam works.
"People usually are contacted by so-called recruiters offering you a job that is too good to be true, really good money, easy to get the job, lots of flexibility."
He shared that one way they might get your information is by finding your resume you may have posted on websites looking for a job. He went on to talk about how the scam usually works.
"They will say something like we've got to send you a fake cheque or a money order to set you up with office equipment. Then what they do is they say, oh, we overpaid you. Could you please send us the remainder back."
Another method of the scam is that fake recruiters ask victims to pay some fees for training or some kind of other fee to set up their employment situation.
"If you're sending money to an employer, that's a scam. Employers don't ask new employees for money; that doesn't happen. "
According to the BBB, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says that in 2024, $ 47 million was lost to employment scams, a sharp increase from 2022, where $7 million was reported.
He concluded by saying if you do fall for this scam, or any scam, to please report it to the BBB and to the RCMP.
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