Looking for a side hustle? Don't get caught in an employment scam
An Ontario woman was hoping to earn extra money working a side hustle to help her deal with the rising costs of living, but ended up getting caught in an online employment scam.
“My source of income where I work, it's just not enough for me after paying all my bills and paying my rent," Emmanuella Ayonote, of Brampton, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.
Ayonote said she was told about a job she could do online – a job she found in a chat group.
“She explained to me that the job is you have to register with the company for $500. After that, I would do work and be paid a commission, and it sounded like a good idea,” Ayonote said.
After she sent $500 to the company, Ayonote said she started doing the required work, adding it looked like the money in her account was growing with each task she completed at work.
But, when she tried to withdraw the funds, the website shut down.
“At one point it looked like I had $800 and I was trying to withdraw it, when everything crashed. I feel sad, so extremely sad because $500 to me is a lot,” she said.
Niagara Regional Police (NRPS) issued a news release recently after getting complaints about employment scams from victims who lose money while hoping to earn income.
“Be cautious and you should never send money to an employer as that's not common practice. The employer will send the money to the employees - not the other way around," NRPS Const. Barry Ravenek told CTV News Toronto.
Janita Pannu, founder of digital marketing agency OPIIA, told CTV News Toronto that if you’re looking for work, you should never have to pay in advance for employment.
“The only conversation you should be having with a future employer regarding money, should be about your compensation,” Pannu said.
When searching for a job online, be wary of job offers sent through email or text, remember that the most legitimate employers conduct job interviews and any promise of “easy money,” should be red flag.
Most importantly, when you see a job offer, do your research.
“If they are asking you to pay for things like training, or software or equipment that's definitely a red flag,” said Pannu.
Ayonote was part of a larger group who may have lost as much as tens of thousands of dollars to the scam.
"We are just trying to get the word out to stop the scammers from going here to there to swindle more people. People work hard for their money and they should not be swindled," Ayonote said.
According to the Financial and Consumer Services Commission Canadians lost 7.1 million dollars to job scams last year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.