Canada Immigration Fraud and Scam Prevention Measures

Canada Immigration is the most preferred permanent residency destination in the world. Every year millions of travelers, immigrants, business people, diplomats, newcomers, students, and refugees travel to Canada. Due to the Canada Visa process's lenient nature, people can enter the country without any hurdles or hindrances. However, under the garb of immigration solutions, several agencies or individuals commit fraudulent practices that crush people's dream of migrating. With a greater demand for Canadian Visa, the rise of phony consultancies is inevitable. To prevent such activities, the Government has a fool-proof mechanism to counter these malicious actions.

The below sections will discuss the types of Immigration fraud, countermeasures, and the newcomer's rights.

BEWARE OF THE BELOW LIST OF FRAUDS

Fraud one

• Fake claims of having RCIC agents on websites – The majority of Immigration consultants outside India claim association with a Canada-based licensed RCIC agent who will act as the authorized representative for their clients. In most cases, that is just a photo opportunity.
• What to do – Check out the ICCRC website link https://college-ic.ca/protecting-the-public/fraud-prevention and ask the local consultant meets all the mentioned guidelines. The retainer agreement has to be signed with the RCIC agent and not the local company or agent. The local immigration consultant's name should be mentioned alongside the RCIC agent’s name on the ICCRC website.

Fraud Two

• Fake Government Officials – Some people may pose as a government official on the phone and scare the applicants for insufficient documents and fee dues. They further intimidate you by indicating that you can lose your residency status or be deported if you do not pay.

• What to do – You must ask the name of the person calling before disconnecting the call. Then you must confirm it with the Immigration Call Centre to verify whether the call was genuine or not. You can file a complaint report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Fraud Three

• Fake websites and Internet Scams – Nowadays, it's straightforward to copy and replicate a real website to build a professional one. They may claim that they have special immigration deals, guaranteed high-paying jobs, and partnerships with the Immigration department. They would ask for your details and upfront fees.
• What to do – Always remember, if someone is guaranteeing you Canada PR Visa, then it's a scam. Always check the website whether they have "https://" and padlock in the browser window.

Fraud Four

• Fake Immigration Emails – There is a chance that you may receive emails that closely resemble the immigration department's pattern. Then, they would ask for personal information and bank details.
• What to do – Beware of this scam. Canadian Government would never any personal or bank details. Ensure that you have received an email from the "gc.ca" or "Canada.ca" email account. Scam mails usually designate as "Dear customer or Dear Client," wherein official correspondence would address the client's full name.

Fraud Five

• Fake Emails – You may receive several emails requesting your personal information and to invest money.
• What to do – Identify those mails and delete them. A legitimate investing organization never sends bulk emails to random people. Do not click any links provided in the mail and verify the sender of the mail.

Fraud Six

• Fake Computer Virus – It is common in Canada that people receive several calls stating that their computer / Laptop/tablet is infected with the virus. They will lure you into getting your passwords and other relevant information.
• What to do – Never give access to your computers / Laptops/tablets to any random calls or text. You must always take your laptop to professional shops or install an anti-virus for a nominal fee.

Fraud Seven

• Fake Prizes – Commonly, people receive several phones, text or email that states that you have won a lottery or jackpot. Then, they would ask your bank details which are most likely to be a scam. Further, they would ask you to respond "STOP" or "NO" to stop these messages, but in reality, they confirm whether you have a real phone number.
• What to do – Be vigilant and never give any details to any stranger. Forward these texts to 7726, wherein your phone provider will block future texts from those numbers.

Fraud Eight

• Marriage Fraud – It is common these days that people from another country marry Canadian Permanent Residents to attain Canadian Residency quickly. Suppose you are a Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen who just met someone from another country and wish to marry her/him. You need to identify that person's ulterior motive, mostly when you just met online. Conduct background checks and family information. If you move forward with the marriage, you can sponsor your spouse to Canada. However, if the marriage fails, you must give them financial support for three years, and if your spouse uses social assistance, you need to repay the money. It's a crime for a foreign national to marry a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to enter Canada. If your spouse uses social assistance, you will have to repay the money. As per the law, it is a crime for a foreign national to marry a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the sole purpose of gaining entry to Canada.

Fraud Nine

• Documentation Fraud – Document fraud involves submitting false or altered documents to the immigration office such as passports, travel documents, academic degrees, and certificates of birth, marriage, final divorce, annulment, death, or PCC. If you lie in an immigration interview with an IRCC officer, it is also considered fraud. If you are caught, they will ban you from entering Canada for a minimum of 5 years, attest a permanent record of fraud, strip your permanent residency or citizenship status, and charge you with a crime or deport. Check with your Authorized Canada Immigration Consultants for an accurate documentation process.

Fraud Ten

• Adoption Fraud – If you wish to adopt a child from a foreign country, you must follow Provincial / Territorial governments' laws, The Government of Canada, and the land of adoption. Several applicants provide forge documents or miss critical documents to speed up the process, leading to visa rejection. There were incidents wherein couples flew to a foreign country to adopt an abandoned child. Still, the immigration department rejected the application for not proving that they are legally available for adoption.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THESE SCAMS

Always remember that the IRCC will never:

• Contact you to collect fees or fines
• Be aggressive or threaten you arrest and deport
• Threaten to harm you or any family, member or damage any personal property
• Ask for any personal information over the phone (except to verify the information you already provided us)
• Ask your financial information over the phone
• Force you the fees quickly
• Ask for fees using Credit Cards, Western Union, Money Gram, Gift Cards, or any other methods
• Send police to arrest you for unpaid fees

Things to remember:

• A Visa Consultant does not have the right to guarantee you employment or a visa to Canada
• Only Canadian immigration officers at Canadian embassies, high commissions, and consulates can decide on the visa issue.
• The official Processing fees are the same and standards for all the services in Canada and worldwide.
• The immigration fees payment will always be marked to the "Receiver General for Canada," unless the government update and mention different on the visa office website.
• Immigration officers will never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account or transfer money through a private money transfer service
• They will never offer special deals to the applicants or use free email services, such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo Mail, to contact you
• Application forms and guides for all the services are freely available on the official website.
• Always be vigilant about the unreal salary offered for a Canadian job that you are applying

YOUR RIGHTS & FREEDOM IN CANADA

Under the Canadian Federal and Provincial laws, the fundamental rights are as follows:

• Freedom to express your opinions and beliefs
• Freedom to associate with anyone and gather peacefully with other people
• Freedom to practice religion
• Right to live anywhere in Canada
• Right to protection from unlawful or unjust arrest or detention by the Canadian Government
• Right to exercise the due legal process under Canadian law
• Right to have the protection of the law without discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, color, religion, gender or sexual orientation, age, mental or physical disability
• Right to equality for same rights to women and men
• Access to education, healthcare, jobs, housing, social services, and pensions

WHY CHOOSE ABHINAV FOR LEGITIMATE IMMIGRATION PROCESS

Abhinav Immigration Services is the global leader in Skilled & Business Immigration, Family Sponsorship, and Overseas Education verticals, with a historical presence in India for more than 28 years. Our experience and competence in providing quality visa services and authentic solutions in the Canada Immigration applications reflect our organization's wisdom. We at Abhinav will take care of your entire visa application process. We will take care of document preparation, questionnaire filing, Stage-Wise application review, application submission, and liaison with the authorities, Authorized RCIC Services, visa application submission, and settlement services.