Scam collection
Job scams in Canada
Job scam searches in Canada are often tied to remote work, visa pressure, paid onboarding, or recruiters who look real at first glance. This collection focuses on employment scams that are especially useful to review in a Canadian context.
Common searches
Why you should know this
- People often search for the country and the scam together when they are unsure whether local reporting paths or visa issues change the risk.
- Job scams in Canada often overlap with identity collection, fake sponsorship, and pressure to pay before a real hiring process exists.
- This page gives a richer landing page than a generic employment-fraud hub because it points readers toward official Canadian reporting paths too.
What to check first
- Verify the employer through its public careers page or a known company phone number, not the recruiter email alone.
- Do not pay for equipment, training, screening, or immigration paperwork to unlock a job.
- If identity documents were already sent, preserve the offer letter, email thread, and payment request before reporting it.
Where to report it
Report phishing in Gmail
Google Support
Use Gmail's report-phishing flow or Google's abuse form if the scam email came through Gmail or a Google service.
ReportFraud.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Best for consumer fraud, imposters, fake payments, shopping scams, and phishing attempts that target U.S. consumers.
File an IC3 complaint
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
Use for internet-enabled fraud, crypto scams, account takeover, fake job offers, and marketplace scams.
Report fraud to CAFC
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Use for fraud, impersonation, romance scams, phishing, and follow-on recovery scams affecting people in Canada.
Report fraud and cyber crime
Action Fraud
Use for phishing, impersonation, booking fraud, romance scams, and other consumer scams affecting the UK.
Official resources
FTC job scams guidance
Examples, red flags, and reporting guidance for fake job offers and recruiter scams.
FTC task scam warning
Official warning on task, optimization, and 'pay to unlock earnings' job scams.
IC3 PSA on work-from-home scams
FBI guidance on optimization scams and remote-work fraud.
Google phishing reporting
If the scam email came through Gmail or another Google service, use Google's abuse path in addition to government reporting.
Related hubs
Interview task equipment cheque scam
A fake employer sends a cheque for equipment during the interview stage and asks the candidate to forward part of the money to a vendor.
Do not deposit employer cheques tied to urgent vendor payments.
Students
U.S.
LinkedIn fake recruiter message scam
Scammers pose as recruiters from well-known companies on LinkedIn, sending unsolicited messages about high-paying job opportunities to harvest personal information or advance fees.
Verify the recruiter by checking the actual company's website and calling their HR department directly.
Job seekers
U.S.
LinkedIn fake job posting scam
Fraudulent job listings on LinkedIn collect applicant data or trick candidates into paying for equipment, certifications, or background checks that never materialize into real employment.
Research the company independently — check their official website and look for the job listing there.
Job seekers
U.S.
Mystery shopper training check scam
A mystery shopper role sends a large check and instructs the new hire to buy gift cards or evaluate money transfer services.
Void the check and stop communicating if a job asks you to purchase gift cards.
Part-time workers
U.S.
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