Ontario residents are being urged to remain vigilant as a sophisticated work-from-home job scam continues to circulate across the province. Fraudsters are impersonating recruiters and misusing the name of Serviceplan, a legitimate European-based agency group, to lure unsuspecting job seekers with promises of easy money and flexible remote opportunities.
In this scam, individuals receive unsolicited text messages from someone posing as “Alma, a recruiter,” offering a “high-quality, part-time, remote online position” assisting merchants in updating data on a so-called “Dofollow platform.” The pitch promises free training, minimal daily work, and extraordinary pay — including a base salary of $750 after just five days, daily earnings of $200 to $500, and up to $5,900 per month.
The fraudulent messages direct recipients to a WhatsApp number with a New York area code, raising suspicions about their legitimacy. Styled to sound professional, the texts often claim that the recipient’s résumé was recommended by recruitment agencies. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, such approaches are a common phishing tactic designed to obtain personal or financial information.
Victims who respond may be pressured into sharing sensitive details such as their name, address, banking information, or SIN. In some cases, fraudsters ask individuals to install applications or software, putting their devices and data at further risk.
Officials strongly advise residents not to reply, click on links, or engage with these messages. Recipients should block the sender immediately. Anyone who has been targeted is encouraged to report the incident to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.