Scams disguised as work-from-home job offers are a frequent occurrence and new ones appear every day. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists the most common. Here are a few examples.

Mystery shopper

You receive an invitation to become a “mystery shopper” to test the services of a money transfer or cheque cashing business. You are sent a cheque to cash and asked to then transfer the amount. Caution: the cheque may be fake and you will be required to pay the amount of the money transfer.

Pyramid sales

You receive a spam email that offers you to make easy money. You first have to pay $100. You then have to convince other people to do the same to receive money. This could very well be a pyramid sales scheme. Refer to the page titled Pyramid Selling to find out more.

Object assembly

You answered a classified ad that offered you to assemble jewelry. You are asked to pay $35 in registration fees and purchase assembly material. Beware of companies that ask you for money in order for you to work. This is often a tactic to sell you material rather than a legitimate job offer.

Envelope stuffing

After answering a spam email, you are asked to pay $50 in exchange for a sure-fire way to make a fortune. If you send money, you will probably receive an answer that looks something like this: “Do the same thing I did: publish an ad and ask for money.” This practice, known as “envelope stuffing,” is prohibited under the Criminal Code.

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