The RCMP is putting the community on alert about a new scam involving both online games and job posting websites.
Individuals are being contacted after their resume is posted on a popular online job website.
Fraudsters then pose as a human resource manager for a multinational consultancy firm and advise the victim they will send them money. They then send a $1250 cheque and request a picture of the amount being deposited in the person’s bank account. From there, the victim is asked to purchase gift cards to Steam, an online video game store, in $50 or $100 increments.
RCMP said they are aware of at least two of these scams in the past week and are reminding citizens to never give personal or banking information to strangers online or over the phone. They also said that anyone who feels uneasy to ask for name and contact info for the hiring company to confirm the individual’s identity.
The public is asked to report any scams to the Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575 or to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.