Employment scam: Ontario woman loses $5,000

Ontario woman claims she lost more than $5,000 after responding to fake job ads. Amandeep Gill, who lives in Scarborough, says he started looking for work with the desire to earn more to raise his two children. He was trying another job as a school bus driver. In the meantime, Gill said, a stranger contacted her saying she was moving out of Vancouver and needed someone to take care of their children.

In order to convince Gill, the scammers sent photos that appeared to be family photos. Before they arrived they said they would send checks to cover their expenses. Gill said that after paying for their travel expenses, household items and other expenses, the checks bounced and she lost $5,120. Gill said it was his hard earned money and he wanted it back.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, many people fall victim to scams in the form of job advertisements and applications. Many people lose money to fake job applications every year. $7,218,534 was lost in 2022 and $27,682,309 in 2023.