Online employment scams resulted in financial losses of C$240,925 (approximately US$183,000) from the start of this year to July 15, the Edmonton Police Service reported on Wednesday in a warning to residents of Edmonton, Canada.

Scammers create fake websites that look like those from legitimate companies. The scammers also create fake job postings on online job boards or search through résumé databases on job boards to find victims.

Once interviewed, they ask victims to fill out fake employment documents in order for the scammers to collect their personal information. Scammers will also ask victims to use their own bank accounts to manage financial transactions. Money is transferred to a victim’s account through a fraudulent business check or other means; the victim is then asked to deposit and transfer the money immediately via cryptocurrency, a gift card or other method.

The scam continues until banks block accounts based on the fraudulent activity.