How to Spot Work From Home Job Scams in Canada

Short answer: A real employer never asks you to pay to get a job, to deposit a cheque and send part of it back, or to share banking details before you are hired. If an offer arrives without a proper interview, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise.

What are the most common warning signs?

You are offered the job after a text or chat conversation, with no voice or video interview.
The pay is far above normal for simple work such as data entry or reshipping parcels.
You are asked to buy equipment, software, training or a “starter kit”.
You are sent a cheque or e-transfer and told to forward some of the money.
The recruiter uses a free email address rather than the company’s domain.
You are pressed to decide immediately.
They ask for your SIN, banking details or copies of ID before any offer in writing.

How does the cheque scam work?

The “employer” sends a cheque for more than you are owed and asks you to return the difference or buy supplies from their vendor. The cheque later bounces, and your bank holds you responsible for the full amount. No genuine employer pays this way.

How can you check that an employer is real?

Find the company’s official website yourself, rather than following a link you were sent, and look for the job on its careers page.
Call the company’s main number and ask whether the recruiter works there.
Search the company name with the word “scam”.
Check that the email domain matches the website exactly.

Which roles are imitated most?

Data entry, package reshipping, “payment processing”, mystery shopping, and personal assistant roles for someone travelling abroad. Scammers also copy the names of real companies, which is why checking through the official website matters.

What should you do if you were targeted?

Stop all contact and do not send money.
If you shared banking details, call your bank at once.
If you shared your SIN, contact Service Canada and the credit bureaus.
Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and to your local police.
Report the posting to the site where you found it.

Genuine remote work does exist. See how to find legitimate remote jobs.