The Niagara Regional Police Service has received numerous complaints from victims, mostly students, who have posted ads online seeking employment.
The victims are subsequently contacted by the suspects who offer employment and will meet the victims at a coffee shop or other public place. Before employment starts the suspects ask for various fees to cover training, materials or insurance. In some cases, the suspects will provide the victims with an advance cheque to cash in order to pay for the fees, training or insurance but the victims quickly learn the cheques are worthless. The suspects have taken payment from victims in the form of cheques and electronic transfer. The jobs do not exist and the suspects are never seen again.
The Central Fraud Unit is currently investigating this scam and cautions those looking for jobs to use caution when meeting people who respond to an online ad and before making any payment in advance of a job. People who have fallen victim to this scam are asked to report the fraud to the Niagara Regional Police Service.
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