Look out for people who use your first month against you.
A new SIN, a new bank account, and an open immigration file are exactly what a scam needs. The examples below are the ones IRCC, the Canada Revenue Agency, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre describe in public. Each one links to the page we read.
Get Settled is a directory. It does not take applications, it does not charge a fee to read a listing, and it will not email or text you asking for a social insurance number, a unique client identifier, a bank password, or a payment. If a message uses this name and asks for any of those, treat it as a scam and write to hello@getsettled.ca.
A government caller who threatens deportation
Someone calls, texts, or emails claiming to be from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They say your paperwork is wrong and that you will lose your status if you do not pay immediately.
IRCC says it will never threaten to deport you over outstanding fees, and it will never threaten to arrest you or send police because a fee is unpaid.
IRCC says its staff will never ask you to pay with a gift card, a prepaid credit card, Western Union, MoneyGram, or a similar service, and never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account.
IRCC says it will never ask for any sort of payment by telephone. A real phone number on caller ID is not proof: the agency says callers can fake the number.
Do not give your unique client identifier (UCI) or application file number to that caller. IRCC also says it will not contact you from Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or by starting a social-media conversation.
IRCC has described a telephone scam aimed at international students. It was reported in Ottawa and London, and the agency says other cities may be affected too.
A recruiter or employer asks you to pay before you can work in Canada, or promises a work permit and permanent residence if you send money or documents.
IRCC says you may be getting scammed if someone promises a work permit or a job in exchange for payment, says they will help you become a permanent resident if you work for them, or asks you to send documents or payment through social media.
The same warning covers a promise that you can stay much longer than your work permit allows, and an offer of free room and board in exchange for work.
On its page for people applying from India, IRCC says the employer pays the labour market impact assessment fee, shown there as CAN$1,000, and the government does not let the worker pay that cost. A recruiter who charges you for the job, that fee, training, tools, or a uniform is a warning sign on that page.
That page also flags a vague job, no interview, wages that look too high, a promise you can start work in a few weeks, and anyone who guarantees permanent residence. No one can guarantee a visa, a job, or permanent residence.
A preparer, consultant, or promoter says newcomers can claim benefit and credit payments for periods before they arrived in Canada, then takes a cut of the refund.
The Canada Revenue Agency says that is incorrect. Benefit and credit payments can only be claimed for time after you arrived, and only if you meet the rules. Newcomers do not need to file a Canadian return for years they did not live in Canada.
The CRA says the promoter files the year you arrived and also many earlier years, which can produce refunds you are not entitled to. If you receive that money you must repay it, and you may face penalties, court fines, or jail. You are responsible for the return even if you paid someone to prepare it.
IRCC repeats the same warning on its newcomers fraud page.
The message uses a Government of Canada logo, names you, and asks for a payment or a login. Sometimes it offers a refund by Interac e-transfer.
The CRA says it will not send refunds by e-transfer or text, will not demand immediate payment by e-transfer, cryptocurrency, prepaid credit card, or gift card, and will not threaten to arrest or deport you.
The CRA says it will not ask for personal or financial information in a voicemail or email, and it will not email or text you a link to a refund.
If you are unsure, hang up and call the CRA yourself. Individuals in the provinces: 1-800-959-8281. Individuals in the territories: 1-866-426-1527.
A website that looks official and charges for free forms
The site copies a government look, then charges you to download forms, guarantees entry to Canada, or asks for a deposit and your personal details before you have even started an application.
IRCC’s help centre says application forms and guides are free on the IRCC website. IRCC charges fees to process an application, not to let you read the form.
A site is a warning sign if it offers a guaranteed visa, a high-paying job, or faster processing, if it is only in one language and the address is not canada.ca or a site ending in .gc.ca, or if it arrived in an email from a stranger.
Paid representatives have to be authorized. IRCC says you do not have to hire one, and hiring one does not get your file special attention or guarantee approval.
IRCC also warns that some videos of officials promoting fast or guaranteed immigration are made with artificial intelligence and spread on social media. Check the claim on canada.ca.
Companies that charge to submit an electronic travel authorization are not working with the Government of Canada. The official application is on the Government of Canada site.
A prize, a bank link, or a virus you did not ask about
A text says you won something you never entered. An email sends you to a page that wants your bank password. A caller says your computer is infected and needs remote access.
IRCC says a prize you did not enter is probably a scam. Do not reply, including to a message that says text STOP or NO. Those replies tell the sender the number is real. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM on most keypads).
Do not click a link that asks for banking passwords or other personal information. If you doubt the sender, check them by a channel you already trust.
IRCC says never to give someone you did not contact access to your computer. Take the machine to a shop you chose, or buy antivirus software from a store you trust.
Will IRCC threaten to deport you over an unpaid fee?
IRCC says it will never threaten to deport you over outstanding fees, and it will never threaten to arrest you or send police because a fee is unpaid.
Will IRCC ask you to pay by phone?
IRCC says it will never ask for any sort of payment by telephone. A real phone number on caller ID is not proof: the agency says callers can fake the number.
Does Get Settled charge a fee to read a listing?
Get Settled is a directory. It does not take applications, it does not charge a fee to read a listing, and it will not email or text you asking for a social insurance number, a unique client identifier, a bank password, or a payment.
Who to tell
IRCC says its goal is to stop the people committing the fraud, not to punish the person who was misled. Report it anyway, including when you spotted the scam and did not pay.
If you are in danger
Call 911. IRCC also lists the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
Report online or call 1-888-495-8501. The line is answered Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern time, and is closed on holidays. Report even if you only witnessed the scam. If you gave information or lost money, also tell your local police.
IRCC says to use this line for immigration fraud, including false information on an application. Toll-free 1-888-502-9060, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, from Canada and the United States. Outside those hours, use the online form.