Winnipeg woman warns of job scam online

A Winnipeg woman is warning job-seekers about ajob scam that's reached Manitoba.

Tannis Empey, 25, was offered a job as an executive assistant with TipTop Energy through the job site Workopolis.com.

"I was excited because you know, after you send your resume ina bazillion times to so many jobs and you never hear backonce you get an email like that, you get pretty excited."

Empey was contacted by the Grand Prairie-based company for an interview, but sheadmits that was the first red flagbecauseshehadn't actually applied for the job.

"I went and searched through my emails [and]couldn't find it in my emails,but I was just so excited to hear something so I went with it," she said, adding she assumed the company got her resume from the jobsite or through similar jobs she'd applied for.

Empey went ahead with the interview through an online agency called Spark Hire. Thenext day she learned she was the successful candidate.

"I got the job, which I thought was really strange [because] I hadn't actually had any official communication directly with this company and they've offered me a job," she said. "But you know you just kind of think maybe they're really in a rush to get this position filled."

Empey was contacted by John Adams, who is listed as thehuman resource manager forTipTop Energy. The job would be based in downtown Calgary, begin Nov. 23and her first instruction was to buy office furniture for the space shewould be mailed a $4,000 cheque to do so, Empey said. She said she was tolddeposit it in her bank account and purchase the office supplies with it. (Empeyhasn't yet received the cheque.)

What made her more suspicious, she said, was Adams's voice had an accentanddidn't seem to match themale pictured on TipTop Energy'swebsite.

"I was like 'that voice doesn't match [his] picture,'" she said. "It was solid English, just a very heavy accent, and the picture was not what that accent was."

Company doesn't appear to exist

Empey'sconcernswere confirmed Monday when a CBC Edmonton investigation revealed TipTop Energy doesn't appear to exist.AnEdmonton woman, Kim Koble, came forward with similar concerns over a job offer.

CBCchecked with the Grande Prairie office building that TipTop listed as its business address. The property manager confirmed there is no such company in that building.

The company is not legally registered in Alberta, CBC confirmed.

After reading the article, Empey called police.

"It's very cruel, very unfair [but]it is what it is. I've accepted it," she said."I knew there was something up and it was just kind of a relief to have it figured out because I was supposed to be moving."

Shesaid an officer within the Winnipeg policefraud unit toldherthe way the scam works is after she deposited the cheque into her account,she wouldbe asked to send some portion of the money back to the sender. And whenthe fraudulentchequebounced, she would be responsible for the funds withdrawn.

The Winnipeg Police Service could not confirm Thursday how many reports, if any, have been receivedregarding TipTop Energy.

TipTop Energy responds

On Monday, CBC Edmonton asked John Adams of TipTop Energy to confirm or deny claims his company does not exist and that his job offer to Koblewasa scam.

"The company is too busy to respond to a frivolous allegation by 'one woman'who has no name or connection with our organization," the email message stated.

However,job scams are on the riseas unemployment rates climb in Alberta, with increased competition for a dwindling number of jobs, said RonMycholukwith the Better Business Bureau of Northern and Central Alberta.

Empey said her cheque from TipTop Energy is in Winnipeg, according to the postal tracking number provided. When she receives it she plans to take it straight to police. In the meantime, she's looking for a job and hopes her story will remind others to be cautious.

"It's unfortunate that they would target such vulnerable people," she said. "These people are hunting for jobs. They don't have money to give they're looking for a job. I just find that very cruel."