How to spot recruitment scams in Canada and protect yourself

Recruitment scams can affect anyone searching for work in Canada. Fraudsters sometimes advertise fake jobs or pose as genuine employers or recruiters to obtain your personal and/or financial information or obtain money from you. Learn some information on how to recognize fake job postings, identify suspicious messages, and report scams to Robert Half.

Fraud Alert

Recruitment scams happen when a fraudster claims to be a recruitment agent, hiring you for a job that does not exist. Unfortunately, these job scams and phishing in the recruitment sector is increasing, and we are aware that scammers are unlawfully using the Robert Half name and logo in an attempt to obtain individuals’ data.

Robert Half understands the importance of your privacy and security. We do not ask job candidates to:

pay any fee to work or to receive payment from us

make cash or cheque advancements to us or to any third party

cash cheques from any sources

purchase any product, service, or gift cards

supply sensitive financial information such as credit card numbers or banking PIN numbers

Accept payment in cryptocurrency

Provide your log-in credentials to your social media accounts

We do not make job offers to candidates or request candidates to send applications through instant messaging services such as WhatsApp or Telegram. We also will not ask for any government identification numbers, such as Social Insurance Numbers, banking or payment information on any instant messaging services. We will not post jobs on freelance platforms, such as Fiverr or Upwork, and will not connect with job applicants through such platforms.

We do not send or ask for money through mobile payment apps or digital wallet platforms, such as GCash, Skrill, Shopify, or Google Pay, and we will never make or request payments via cryptocurrency.

Robert Half does not hire candidates for jobs in countries where we are not authorized to operate. Please click on the drop-down menu in the footer below to see the list of countries Robert Half operates in.

Please be aware that if you receive any requests like the ones described above, it is likely a form of fraud. Please contact us if you think someone is using Robert Half’s name to request this type of information.

Top tips to spot a potential job scam

While job scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, knowing the warning signs can help keep you safe.

We have set out our top tips to help you spot a potential job scam.

Unsolicited text messages from unknown numbers

You are asked for money, an “administration fee”, “security fee” or an “accreditation fee”.

Poor spelling or grammar in communications.

The job description is vague or poorly written.

Communications are from generic addresses such as Gmail or Hotmail accounts.

You are asked for unnecessary personal information before submitting your application.

You are asked to click unsolicited links or attachments.

You are offered a job immediately or without an interview.

You are instantly offered a high salary.

Check the website: Clues to watch for

Missing Information – If a site claiming to be Robert Half has no “About Us” page, no contact details, vague company background, or limited pages, treat it as suspicious.

URL Check – Look for correct spelling and standard domain formats (e.g., roberthalf.com). Avoid sites with unusual endings (.info, .biz), extra hyphens, or slight misspellings. You can also paste the URL into Google to find the genuine company site.

Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

What to do if you suspect fraud

Please contact our Customer Loyalty Team at [email protected]. if you receive any suspicious communications that reference Robert Half or any of our practice groups. Suspicious communications include those asking for personal information or requesting to pay via email, instant messaging or social media.

Ontario Policy on Fraudulent Publicly Advertised Job Postings

Pursuant to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, if you suspect you have come across a fraudulent job post, please report the job post to our Customer Loyalty Team at [email protected]. Robert Half will review the information provided.

Additional resources

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Report fraud and cybercrime:

https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, What to do if you’re a victim of fraud:

https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/victim-victime-eng.htm

Office of Consumer Affairs (Canada), Identity theft, spam and fraud:

https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/office-consumer-affairs/en/identity-theft-spam-and-fraud