Scams in Canada to lookout for as an immigrant/newcomer

For newcomers and immigrants who are wanting to come to Canada, desperate measures sometimes lead to relying on scams, unbeknownst to them. That leads to scammers preying on such individuals and robbing them off their dreams. When it comes to immigration in Canada, one will come across such scammers and fall victim to their activities. Here is a list of certain types of scam artists that will reach out to you, so as to exploit your aspirations:

Telephone scam

People might get a phone call from person(s) unknown, claiming to be IRCC officials. The phone call will be based on missing paperwork, fee-related, threats towards deportation and losing immigration due to lack of payment, and so on. According to the IRCC website, it will never:

• Contact you over the telephone to collect fees or fines,
• Be aggressive or threaten to arrest or deport you,
• Threaten to harm you or a member of your family, or damage your home or property,
• Ask for personal information over the phone (except to verify information you already gave us),
• Ask for financial information over the phone,
• Try to rush you into paying right away,
• Ask you to pay fees using prepaid credit cards, Western Union, Money Gram, gift cards, or any other similar services, or
• Send police to arrest you for unpaid fees.

Email Scam

As one might know there are many immigration consultants, some legit or some pretending to be. Emails are prone to become a playground for phishers. The pattern of these emails can be random and can be sent to different people, whether they want immigration assistance or not. These emails consist of a demand for personal information or bank account details. Embedded within them are links that should not be clicked at all. Depending on the subject matter of the emails, some have poor grammar, but not all of them.

Cyberattacks and computer virus

In today’s digital age, electronics are susceptible to security breaches with viruses. There are scammers who can call you on the pretense that your computer has a virus and that ‘they’ can help remove them for you if you follow their instructions on the phone. This is a sham as it’s a strategy to access your private information. There have been instances where IRCC accounts have been compromised by getting hold of the GCKeys. Sensitive information can be salvaged through viruses or fake callers pretending to be part of tech support.

Website scam

Part and parcel of the scam brigade are creating fake websites imitating official IRCC counterparts. As per cic.gc.ca, a website can be fake if:

• You are asked to pay to access application forms and guides. IRCC only charges fees to process your application.
• The website offers special, too good to be true immigration deals, or guarantees entry into Canada, high-paying jobs or faster processing of your application.
• It looks like an official Government of Canada site but it is only in one language and does not have the Canada.ca URL or a URL that ends with “.gc.ca.”
• You must provide personal information, financial information or make a deposit before you even start the application process.
• There is no padlock in the browser window or https:// at the beginning of the web address to show it is a secure site. Even if the site appears secure, be cautious.
• The website was advertised in an email from a stranger that you did not ask for.
• You cannot reach anyone listed in the website’s contact information, or the website has no contact information.
• The company’s or representative’s credentials cannot be found on the site.

There are plenty of scam artists out there taking advantage of people and careful research is essential to avoid them.