The third month of the year is for preventing fraud from happening and spreading awareness on how to stop it. Thus, March is famous for being Fraud Prevention Month in Canada. This fraud is basically related to how newcomers in Canada fall into tricks of various scammers. Sometimes, newcomers don’t understand the immigration process, and this leads them into falling prey to frauds. However, if someone asks is Canada the best choice to immigrate to, then yes, it definitely is!
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About Fraud Prevention Month
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada dedicates one whole month towards the awareness of immigration fraud and scams. The new coming immigrants are basically the targets of this kind of fraud. This month also mentions ways by which one can protect themselves from these scams.
It is quite easy to become a target of fraud since the immigration process is always a bit complex to understand for people who are new in this field. Some choose to hire immigration professionals to make the whole process easier. However, some of these professionals are not honest and try to take advantage of innocent people. These ill-intentioned individuals and unlicensed consultants exploit inexperienced people for their own profit.
A newcomer is still under threat even after landing in Canada. At that time, they are looking for accommodation arrangements or searching for jobs. And, at this time the scam may come in the form of offers guaranteeing higher paying jobs or houses in the prominent locations. But, the thing that every newcomer should know is that, it is not necessary that each of these offers are true. Some of them might be frauds. So, stay informed.
Protecting Oneself Against Immigration Fraud
One of the best ways of protection against fraud is being aware. If a person can identify the warning signs of scams, then they could then recognize and report the fraud.
Below are some of the common scams. Take a look at them and spread awareness! These are available on IRCC’s website as well.
- Fake emails that are asking for money or personal details. Emails could also ask for information related to bank accounts.
- You could also be receiving a phone call or a text that says you won a prize but you never actually participated in any contest.
- A fake email or a fake phone call stating your computer has a virus and then asking for your computer passwords so they could remove the computer virus for you.
- Some people even go as far as impersonating the Staff of Government of Canada. They would threaten to pay money or else your immigration status is threatened.
Reporting Immigration Fraud
Some of the ways to report a scam would be to report it to the CBSA’s Border Watch Toll-Free Line at 1-888-502-9060. Those who believe they are a victim of some kind of fraud in Canada have the option to contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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