Scam targets international workers, offers fake jobs at Grand River Hospital

Grand River Hospital is warning the public about fake job offers going out under the hospital's name after a number of international workers were targeted.

The hospital recently received an email from a worker from outside of Canada inquiring about a job they had been offered at the hospital. But the hospital told CBC News it isn't recruiting internationally.

The hospital has launched an investigation.

"Someone unbeknownst to us, had grabbed the hospital's logo and then content from other organizations [and] had set up a fake website. They had also used another domain to send out offer letters allegedly on behalf of the hospital," said Mark Karjaluoto, spokesperson for Grand River Hospital.

Karjaluoto said hospital officials believe it was an attempt to get personal information from the people who were targeted or an attempt to get fake visa fees.

Hospital officials said they know of three individuals who were offered fake jobs at GRH. They were in Saudi Arabia, India and Dubai.

"In the conversations that I had with the three people that had applied, I think this did look like quite the opportunity for them," said Karjaluoto.

The hospital has notified the Waterloo Regional Police Service, as well as the domain registrar for the fake website and email address.

'Not how we work'

Karjaluoto said the hospital would never send out spontaneous job offers and only contacts applicants after they apply through the career portal on the GRH website.

"That's simply not how we work at the hospital," he said. "When we were alerted about the three requests, we told them individually, 'No, we believe this to be a fake. This does not come from us and we strongly recommend that you don't provide any personal, financial or other related information.'"

He said anyone who gets a fake job offer from the hospital should contact police and anti-fraud agencies.