Canada lists 7 things immigration officers will never demand from immigrants

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.

1. Deposit money into a personal bank account

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.

2. Make an urgent 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.

3. Pay through gift cards or money transfer services

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.

4. Threaten arrest or deportation over unpaid fees

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.

5. Offer special immigration deals

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.

Canada warns newcomers about other scams

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.