A sophisticated employment scam is targeting unsuspecting victims to gain access to their personal information.
Burnaby resident Jim Trueman said he received a job offer via email from a company calling itself Global HR Canada Ltd.
There was just one problem: he never applied for the job in the first place. The job offer included an attachment asking for his personal information.
“Just instinctually, this is a red flag,” he said.
Coverage of Consumer Matters on Globalnews.ca:
Trueman researched the company’s website.
“There’s nothing on there to say who’s behind the company, even though they claim to have a real professional staff. Well, where is this professional staff?” he said.
Employment scams have been used to coax people into cashing fraudulent cheques, or giving up their banking or personal information, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
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The company claimed to have found Trueman’s resume online.
Trueman said he has posted his resume online publicly for years, but has never come across anything quite like this.
To learn more about Global HR Canada Ltd., Trueman said he responded to the prospective employer’s email.
“I smelled a rat. I sent it late in the day and within minutes I had a response and they are supposed to be closed,” Trueman said.
Consumer Matters contacted the number listed on the website repeatedly, but there was no response. The mailing address was linked to the Town of Richmond Hill in Ontario.
Municipal staff there confirmed they were investigating.
The BBB also reviewed the company’s website.
“It was really difficult to ascertain what exactly the business is. It talks about investments and borrowing money from friends and family,” said spokesman Evan Kelly.
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Last year, the “employment scam” cost Canadians $5 to $6 million, according to the BBB.
If you fall victim to an employment scam, report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
For more information on employment scams and how to protect yourself, go the Better Business Bureau’s website.
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