What to know
- Police are warning about a fake online employment scam that targets people searching for remote work opportunities.
- Victims are told to pay money to restore account ratings or unlock their earnings, but never receive the promised commissions.
- Legitimate employers will never ask workers to pay fees to continue working or access their wages, Toronto police say.
Toronto police are warning the public about a fraudulent employment scam targeting people seeking work-from-home opportunities.
Toronto Police Service (TPS) is reminding job seekers that legitimate employers will never ask workers to pay to access their earnings.
According to a public safety alert issued Wednesday, investigators are looking into what’s known as a “work task” scam, in which victims are lured through what appear to be online job postings.
How does the scam work?
Police say the scam typically begins when someone responds to a remote job advertisement online. After expressing interest, applicants are directed to register on a fake work platform that includes a rating or performance system designed to appear legitimate.
Once signed up, victims are assigned simple online tasks and promised commissions for completing them.
However, scammers eventually claim mistakes have lowered the worker’s performance rating and tell them they must send money to restore their account before they can continue working or receive payment.
But it doesn’t stop there.
When victims attempt to withdraw their supposed earnings, they’re told they must first pay additional fees or deposits to unlock their funds. Despite making these payments, police say victims never receive any of the promised earnings.
‘Task scams’ on the rise across the country
The scheme mirrors a growing type of fraud known as a task scam or task optimization scam, which has become increasingly common across Canada.
Fraudsters often advertise flexible remote work with high pay for completing simple online tasks, sometimes contacting victims through social media, messaging apps like WhatsApp, or online job boards.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says employment scams are becoming more common and sophisticated, with criminals using convincing websites, fake recruiter profiles and AI-generated job postings to make offers appear more real.
In many cases, victims are pressured into sending cryptocurrency or other payments before they can access their supposed earnings.
According to the centre’s data, Canadians reported losing more than $49 million to employment and job scams in 2024, with losses continuing to rise as fraudsters increasingly target remote workers.
How Torontonians can steer clear of task scams
Toronto police are reminding residents to be cautious when responding to online job advertisements and to watch for common red flags, including:
- Employers asking workers to pay money to continue working or improve a performance rating.
- Requests to pay fees before receiving wages.
- Job offers promising high earnings for simple online tasks.
- Pressure to send money or cryptocurrency to unlock commissions or earnings.
It’s also recommended for individuals seeking employment to independently research companies, verify job postings through official employer websites, and avoid any employer that requests payment as part of the hiring process.
Legitimate employers do not charge employees to obtain a job or access their wages.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by this type of scam is encouraged to contact the Toronto Police Services.
