Canada government has warned newcomers and immigrants about common scams involving people pretending to be immigration officials and demanding money or personal information
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said newcomers should learn how to identify fraudulent calls, emails and messages, particularly those involving threats of deportation or demands for immediate payment
According to the government, there are seven things IRCC employees will never demand from immigrants
IRCC employees will never ask an immigrant to deposit immigration fees or other payments into a personal bank account
Newcomers should be suspicious of anyone claiming to represent the Canadian government who provides a personal bank account for payment
Immigration officials will never rush people into paying fees immediately
Scammers may create a sense of urgency by claiming that an application will be rejected or an immigration status will be affected unless payment is made immediately
IRCC advises newcomers to verify such claims through official government channels before making any payment
IRCC employees will never ask people to pay immigration fees using prepaid credit cards, gift cards, Western Union, MoneyGram or similar services
Government processing fees can be paid through the official payment channels provided by IRCC
Scammers may pose as immigration officials and threaten victims with arrest, deportation or police action if they do not immediately pay money
IRCC says its employees will not threaten to arrest or deport people, or send police to arrest them or harm their families, over unpaid fees
The government specifically warns that threats of deportation over outstanding fees are a scam
Immigration officials will never offer special deals to people seeking to immigrate to Canada
Newcomers should be cautious of anyone claiming they can provide a special immigration arrangement or guarantee a favourable outcome
The Canadian government also warns that no one can guarantee a job, visa or permanent residence in Canada
IRCC employees will not promise that an immigration application will be approved or receive special attention because an applicant sends additional money or information
Anyone demanding extra payment in exchange for faster processing or guaranteed approval should therefore be treated with caution
IRCC employees will not use free email services such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo Mail, or social media platforms, to contact people about immigration matters
The government also warns that scammers can manipulate caller ID, meaning a phone number that appears to belong to a government agency may not actually be genuine
Newcomers should therefore verify unexpected calls and messages through official government channels
The government also highlighted other fraud schemes targeting newcomers, including phishing emails and text messages, fake computer virus alerts, fraudulent prizes and contests, and tax scams
In phishing scams, victims may receive messages containing links to websites designed to steal banking information, passwords or other personal details
Canada advises people not to click suspicious links or provide personal information if they are unsure who sent the message
Newcomers should also be wary of messages claiming they have won a prize in a contest they never entered