The swindler's list: Scams newcomers in Canada should watch out for :-ET Last Updated: May 24, 2022, 02:02 PM IST

 Synopsis

With record number of immigrants moving to Canada, the rise of fraud is inevitable. ​​Newcomers are ideal targets for fraudsters since they are unaware of how companies or the government does business. As a resident, you have rights and freedoms protected by Canadian law.

With record number of immigrants moving to Canada, the rise of fraud is inevitable. Despite the pandemic, the country reached record numbers in 2021 with over 405,000 people becoming permanent residents. For 2022, Canada recently released a revised target of over 432,000 immigrants.

Newcomers are ideal targets for scamsters since they are unaware of how companies or the government does business. As a resident, you have rights and freedoms protected by Canadian law.

If you're planning to move to Canada, or have newly moved to the country, here are some things to keep in mind.

First thing's first - know that officials from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), will never...

• call you to collect fees or fines
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• be aggressive or threaten to arrest or deport you
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• threaten to harm you or a member of your family, or damage your home or property
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• ask for personal information over the phone (except to verify information you have already provided)
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• ask for financial information over the phone
• try to rush you into paying right away
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• ask you to pay fees using prepaid credit cards, Western Union, Money Gram, gift cards, or similar services
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• send police to arrest you for unpaid fees
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• Here are some common scams you should be aware of as a newcomer to Canada...
  1. People posing 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.
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• Such 'officials' say 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: 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.
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• 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.
  
  
  Read more at:

  https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/the-swindlers-list-scams-newcomers-in-canada-should-watch-out-for/articleshow/91762328.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst