Telephone scammers targeting immigrants and new Canadians
Don't trust your caller ID display
Immigrants and new Canadians are the target of a recent national phone scam.
Telephone scammers are impersonating federal officials from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Victims receive a call on their home phone and are identified by name. The scammer advises the victim that they have failed to report or update their Immigration status.
They often reference Bill C-24 and give the victim an option of paying a $2,500 fine within an hour or face deportation, loss of passport and citizenship.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is reminding the public to look out for warning signs to protect themselves against immigration scams.
The IRCC does not contact clients via phone to collect fines to avoid deportation.
The agency encourages payment of fees through a bank and does not request payments by pre-paid credit cards or through private money transfer services.
People are advised to contact the IRCC call centre (1-888-242-2100) to confirm information regarding their profile and to not trust their caller display.
Comments
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Become a CBC Account Holder
Join the conversation Create account
Already have an account?