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A laptop screen shows a sad face emoji while stacks of money with wings fly away
Financial literacy

A catalogue of recent cons

Think twice before sending money to someone offering you a job online, as 'job opportunity frauds' are on the rise

Rig Economy 

It seemed like a godsend.  

A Brampton, Ontario man going through “tough” times received a WhatsApp message offering him a part-time job rating hotels online. 

The position would pay thousands of dollars a week but there was a catch: He had to deposit money into an anonymous cryptocurrency account to get started. 

CityNews reported late last year the man would part with $17,000 before he realized the cold truth: he was being swindled. 

The case was one of a growing number of so-called ”job opportunity frauds,” according the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, a partnership between law enforcement agencies. The schemes surged during the pandemic and even though unemployment has eased, they remain widespread. 

While their MOs vary, fraudsters will often offer victims a freelance job in which they can rate products, apps or videos. Victims will sometimes receive a small payment but to make more money, will have to deposit their own funds into a fraudster-controlled crypto account.  

Job scams, though, aren’t limited to online positions, say police. Fraudsters are increasingly peddling phony opportunities as mystery shoppers and financial agents, and for “wrapping” personal vehicles in company logos. 

Unhelping hand

A personal care aid from British Columbia who worked with elderly patients has pleaded guilty to 34 crimes, including fraud and identity theft. \

The Surrey woman copped to the charges in the fall, more than a year after being arrested, according to the CBC. 

The case began in June 2022 when RCMP say they received a report that a wallet had been stolen from a 96-year-old man and his credit and debit cars were being used across the Vancouver suburbs. 

Police say the man’s care worker took the wallet and she was slapped with several charges. Officers released the woman’s picture to the public, asking for help with what had become a mushrooming investigation.  

The charges would eventually extend to cover a total of 19 victims, according to reports. 

Deck the cells 

A 52-year-old Cambridge, Ontario woman has been arrested in connection with what police describe as a massive fraud linked to two Christmas markets. 

Officers say they received 55 reports of fraud from vendors hoping to set up shop at the “It’s a Christmas Market” in Waterloo. Police did not detail why the woman was arrested or elaborate on her connection to the market. But CBC reported the shopfest was cancelled after its organizer said on social media she had “lost” vendor deposits. 

Police received another 12 reports of fraud linked to a similar event, the Christmas Shopalooza, in nearby Cambridge. The Waterloo Regional Police believe there may be more victims. 

The suspect has been charged with committing fraud of over $5,000 and was due to appear in court on December 20—five days before Christmas.