Looking for a job? Beware employment resume scams
A Milton, Ont. woman has been looking for a job, hoping to work remotely in technical support, and received an offer from someone who claimed to be a recruiter who reached out to her through LinkedIn.
But Lori Foster said that not long into the interview process the recruiter wanted a lot of personal information, which made her uncomfortable and eventually led her to believe it was a scam.
“Had I provided the last foiur digits of my social insurance number, my birthday and other personal information they were asking for I could have been the victim of identity theft," said Foster.
LinkedIn is a social networking website business professionals use to communicate and make new contacts.
When CTV News Toronto reached out to the company to ask about criminals using the website to try and get personal information through resume scams, Brionna Ruff with LinkedIn Corporate Communications said in a statement, “we work every day to keep our members safe, and this includes investing in automated and manual defenses to detect and address fake accounts, false information, and suspected fraud.”
“Our policies are very clear: we do not allow fraudulent activity, including financial scams on LinkedIn. We also encourage members to report any suspicious messages so our teams can take action. You can learn more about the work we do to keep members safe here."
According to the Better Business bureau (BBB) there was a major increase in employment scams during the pandemic as many people tried to find ways to work from home.
"Information like your banking details, your social insurance number and other personal information is something that you don’t provide until you are hired," President and CEO of the BBB for Central Ontario Angela Dennis sai.
The BBB said you should always beware of unsolicited job offers and be careful if you are ever asked to receive a cheque, cash it and then forward on the funds to others.
You should also never have to pay in advance to get a job and another red flag is being told that you have been hired without having to do a job interview.
Dennis said most importantly is doing your research and not giving out too much information when answering a recruiter or searching for a job.
“What they are trying to do is get people’s information to steal their identity and open up bank accounts and credit cards," Dennis said.
Foster contacted CTV News Toronto hoping to make others aware that if they're looking for a job and they’re asked to provide too much personal information before they're hired, chances are it's a scam.
“It could be they want something from you. They don't actually want to give you a job, they just want your information," said Foster.
If you're asked to conduct a job interview through a messaging app and you’re told not to phone to talk to someone or do a video call, chances are it's a scam.
According to the BBB if you have doubts about the authenticity of the job offer, by-pass the recruiter all together, and call the company directly to see if the job actually exists.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
BREAKING Suspect sought after man found injured in downtown Toronto dies in hospital
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man who was found with life-threatening injuries in downtown Toronto on Sunday morning succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Police investigating after tow trucks shot at in Scarborough two hours apart
Toronto police are investigating after tow trucks were shot at in Scarborough about two hours apart Saturday night.
U.K. foreign secretary says halting arms sales to Israel would only strengthen Hamas
Asked whether the U.K. would follow the U.S. in threatening to cut the supply of offensive weapons to Israel if it carried out an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the two countries cannot be compared because unlike the U.S., Britain supplies a very small amount of Israel's weapons.
BREAKING 37-year-old dies following Sault police shooting
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after a Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officer shot a 37-year-old in the city’s west end on Saturday night.