On February 12, 2020, Channel-Port aux Basques RCMP received a complaint from a woman who was sent a link from a Facebook friend for an employment offer. The woman believed the link was legitimate, given it appeared to come from a friend, but was unaware that the Facebook account of her friend had been cloned by a scammer.
The scammer asked the woman to complete a written application for employment and purchase $350 in gift cards to cover the cost of software that would be required for her to secure employment with the company. She was assured the $350 would be reimbursed on her first pay cheque. She purchased the gift cards and provided the access codes to the scammer, as well as other information requested, including passport picture, Facebook password and bank account information. The scammer is now using the victim's Facebook account to scam other individuals.
The RCMP reminds the public to remain vigilant – if something doesn't feel right, do not engage. Scammers can be very convincing and friendly when targeting your money and personal information.
Please report any suspected scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca. Contact your local police if you have provided personal information or lost money.