Malicious Postings and Employment Scams

If a job posting, job offer, or offer letter includes any of the following, BEWARE! It could be a scam.

• Email domains, Address (check the numbers!), Phone Numbers does not match the official organization website
  • For example, the organization website is LouisVuitton.com but the email is jobs@LouisVuutton.com.
  • For example, scams will spoof real legitimate organizations. Check EACH DIGIT of addresses, phone numbers, contact info, website addresses.
• Scouted/headhunted you, without you applying to their posting
  • Unless you are well established or in a highly specialized field, most new graduates will not be headhunted/scouted.
• Asking for banking information or your Social Insurance Number (SIN)
  • Most employers will not ask for your bank information or your SIN before you have accepted a job.
  • Remember, the goal is to PREVENT so you do not find yourself in a position where you accepted the job and gave the information to a scam organization after.
    
• They ask you to pay or provide an initial investment before working
  • Through wire transfers, bank transactions or cryptocurrency like Bitcoins or upfront cash.
    
  • To purchase expensive equipment before working. 
• They want to hire immediately or without an interview
  • Hiring practices to find best candidates, employers will interview you before offering you a job. 
  • If no interview of any type has been given (phone, in-person, video), then request for an interview.
• Unprofessional language and grammatical errors
  • Most organizations hire HR staff and other professionals to write job postings and offer letters to ensure accuracy. Glaring letters, grammar, inconsistent flow of unprofessional writing is a red flag and first impression to consider.
    

Have a deeper look with a deep scan! Look through these potential areas:  

• Find the job posting on the organization’s website
  • Note: Some organizations may not have a career page and post exclusively to SFU MyExperience or other posting platforms.
    
• Check the phone number listed
  • Check to see if it is a known scam number or if it matches up with the organizations legitimate website.
    
  • Try to call the number if safe.
    
• Check the physical address of the organization
  • If address is included, check if it is on Google Maps for a real address. Does Google suggest alternative "edits" for wrong address search?
    
• Check the organization’s online presence
  • What is their reputation? Are they active online like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Instagram, Facebook etc.?
    
• Read organization reviews
  • Find reviews from public and employees
    
  • Some may post fake reviews so keep an eye out for signs of fake reviews.
    
• Check the website domain information
  • Check the domain of the website for timestamps.
    
• Visit SFU Career and Volunteer Services at MBC 0300
  
  • If you are unsure, reach out to SFU CVS for a second look.

Employers will usually wait until after you complete an interview and accept a job offer to request your driver’s license, Social Insurance Number, or direct deposit information. If you have given personal information to what you suspect is a scam organization there are a few steps you can take to try to protect yourself:

• Request your information to be destroyed and immediately stop contact
  • Email the organization and request that they delete any of your information in their possession. If you talk to the organization over the phone, send them an email outlining what was discussed and explicitly stating your request. This will ensure you have a record of communication. Keep any text or chat messages that document your request.
• Monitor your bank account for fraudulent charges and set notifications
• Contact financial institution(s) to discuss suggestions to protect your account, identity and credit score.
• Notify bank for fraudulent charges; cancel and replace cards.
• Report job scams to local police to keep track of scams.
  • Scams and Fraud by BC
  • Canadian Anti Fraud Centre - Reporting