‘We want these ads pulled’: Ontario labour minister vows to crack down on fake job postings

It can be extremely frustrating, but it happens to Canadians every day. Job seekers are searching for meaningful employment when they click on a fake job ad.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), Canadians lost $47 million to employment fraud in 2024 and nearly $15 million of those losses were in Ontario.

So Ontario’s labour minister is stepping in, vowing to crack down on fraudulent job postings.

“We want these ads pulled. We want to protect the workers of Ontario,” David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, told CTV News Toronto.

According to Piccini, these scams often involve fake listings intended to collect personal information or solicit payments from job seekers.

On Wednesday, the Ford government proposed a new requirement under the Employment Standards Act that would mandate job posting platforms to create a clear and accessible way for users to report fraudulent, publicly advertised job postings.

Platforms would also need to publish a written policy on how they address such fraud and help users report suspicious listings directly to their platforms, support faster detection and removal of fraudulent ads, and make Ontario a leader in online job market transparency and safety.

Piccini said that social media platforms that allow posting of fraudulent jobs have a moral obligation to make sure job seekers aren’t being scammed.

“If there are job postings, there will also be a requirement to report job posting scams. So, platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Indeed will all have to have the ability to report scams. This will be required by law in the province of Ontario.”

Piccini also said there will be an enforcement component if platforms fail to remove fraudulent ads in a timely manner.

To avoid scams, job seekers should be concerned if no in-person interview is required, if the company is offering high pay for easy work, or if they ask for money to be sent.