Longueuil police are warning about an identity-theft scam involving a phony company web site targeting prospective job applicants.
In a Facebook post, they say the scammers used information found on Quebec's business registry to create a phony web site for a legitimate company — Boucherville-based AIPC Consulting Group. The phony company would then pretend to be on a hiring blitz, posting attractive job offers, and would invite job seekers to fill out an online questionnaire.
Police say the information provided could be used by the scammers to essentially steal people's identities.
For the moment, it's not clear exactly how the scammers are operating, or how they may have profited from having that information.
The owners of the legitimate AIPC Consulting Group informed police about the scam. They says they are not on a hiring campaign at the moment.
In the meantime, Longueuil police are urging people to take precautions against this kind of fraud:
• Never give personal information to a prospective employer (birthdate, bank account number, information on previous jobs) without first meeting the employer in question; especially if the employer is the one who is soliciting you before you actually apply for the job;
• Never click on links in an email unless you're certain it comes from a legitimate source;
• Never accept to deposit cheques or make money transfer from your personal bank account for an employer;
• Never send money to a prospective employer;
• Never answer a job offer that seems too good to be true;
• If there's any doubt about the intentions or the integrity of a future employer, stop all communication and contact the job search web site or platform the job notice comes from;
• If you suspect you're the victim of this kind of fraud, communicate with Equifax or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.