Spotting a fraudulent job posting
Last reviewed: September 16, 2026
Fake job postings target people who are actively searching, often in a hurry. They imitate real companies and real listings. A few reflexes are enough to rule them out.
Warning signs
No legitimate employer asks you for money to get a job, for mandatory training, a starter kit or a background check.
Be wary too of pay that's abnormally high for few qualifications, hiring without an interview, an offer arriving when you never applied, communication only through instant messaging, and pressure to decide fast.
- You're asked for banking details before there's even an offer letter.
- You're asked for ID or your social insurance number at first contact.
- The recruiter's email address doesn't use the company's domain.
- You're sent a cheque and asked to return part of it.
- The job requires installing remote-control software on your device.
The most common scams
The overpayment cheque: you're “paid” in advance with a cheque larger than what's owed and asked to send back the difference. The cheque eventually bounces, and the money you returned is gone.
The fake recruiter: someone poses as a known company, sometimes with a logo and a well-written offer, to harvest your personal information.
The money mule: you're hired to receive payments and forward them. That's money laundering, and you're liable even if you didn't know.
How to check in two minutes
Look the company up yourself and go to its official site rather than through the link you received. If the job is real, it's almost always listed there.
Compare the recruiter's email domain with the official site's. Call the number shown on the company's site, never the one in the message.
On this site, every posting links to its original source: follow that link and confirm the listing really exists there.
Where to report
Report any attempt to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, online or by phone at 1-888-495-8501, even if you lost nothing: reports are what reveal the patterns.
Tell your local police as well if you suffered a loss, and the platform where the posting appeared so it can be taken down.
If you spot a questionable posting in our directory, write to us and we'll remove it quickly.