Northwest Territories RCMP and the NT RCMP Financial Crimes Unit are warning the citizens of the Northwest Territories, especially new Canadians, of new fraud schemes. The number of these type of scams has been increasing according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
In one of the scams, fraudsters contact potential victims by phone. The suspect claims to be with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), formerly known as Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The caller tells the victim that they have failed to complete or register certain immigration documents. Consequently, if the person does not pay a fee immediately, the suspect is threatening them with deportation, loss of passport and citizenship.
How to protect yourself:
- Beware of unsolicited calls where you are asked to act urgently and not to discuss with anyone.
- IRCC does not contact clients via the telephone for the purpose of collecting fines to avoid deportation.
- IRCC encourages individuals to pay fees through their bank or through payment options available on the website and does not request payments to be completed via pre-paid credit cards or through private money transfer services.
- Prior to sending any funds, make contact with the IRCC in person or by telephone at 1-888-242-2100 to confirm that the request is legitimate.
- Contact the IRCC call centre at 1-888-242-2100 and confirm information regarding your profile – don't trust your caller ID display
A different type of scam is being seen online through fake ads selling work permits and high paying jobs in Canada. The fraudulent ads are posted stating there is minimal or no experience required for these jobs. Once a contact is made between the suspect and the victim, the suspect will ask the victim to pay a fee via Money Service Business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, e-transfer, Visa or pre-paid cards in order to process an application for the visa and work permit. Once the money is sent, the suspect ceases contact with the victim.
How to protect yourself:
- Canadian visa offices will never ask for money to be deposited into a personal bank account or transfer money through money service business such as Western Union or MoneyGram.
- Beware of scams on the internet and fake websites. The official website for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), is www.cic.gc.ca.
- Immigration representatives have no "special" connections with government officials and never guarantee you a visa.
- You do not need to hire an immigration representative to apply for a Canadian visa.
- If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!!! Be vigilant, verify all information. To verify, contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), at www.cic.gc.ca.
Anyone with information on suspicious activity is asked to call Yellowknife RCMP at 669-1111, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 nwtnutips.com, (click on "submit a web tip") or text: "nwtnutips" plus your message to 274637.