Canada is a country which attracts immigrants across the world. Last year itself around 100 thousand Indians obtained the status of permanent residents in Canada. The total number of immigrants obtaining a similar status stands at 405,000, despite the pandemic. However, with this massive inflow of immigrants, there is a rise in fraud.
The ideal targets for fraud are the newcomers who are unaware of the regulations and rules of the functionality of a business or a government. Canadian Law protects its residents by giving them certain rights and freedoms.
This article will list a few things to keep in mind if you are planning to immigrate;
To begin with let’s start with the things that are not part of the procedure at all. Please know that officials from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC),
- call you to collect any kind of money calling it 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 the information you have already provided)
- 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 similar services
- send police to arrest you for unpaid fees
If you are clear with this part the next part is making you aware in regards to the kind of scams that happens to the newcomers to Canada.
1. People duping newcomers as government staff: A person poses as a government official over a telephone call and tries to scare you by saying you have done something wrong (like filing wrong paperwork), and that you owe extra fees or fines.
Such ‘officials’ usually use the threats or try to create fear by saying you will lose your immigration status or be deported if you don’t make the payments right away and some may even threaten your family or home.
2. Fake emails: This is the classic misuse of the internet to extort money. In this, you might get an email trying to convince you to invest money or to give out personal information or passwords related to your banking accounts.
3. Fake computer virus: You may get a phone call or email saying that your computer has been infected with a virus. With an offer to remove the virus from your computer, the caller or sender will try to get you to reveal passwords or other sensitive information.
To further assess your eligibility to migrate, click here.
