IRCC warns of social media scams

IRCC said the pages are primarily in Arabic and some “are illegally using Government of Canada official marks and images to appear as though they connected to Canada when they are not.” (Pixabay photo)

The Government of Canada is warning of a scam by individuals posing as immigration consultants on Facebook.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said a number of Facebook pages are claiming to be those of immigration consultants affiliated with the Government of Canada and promise successful immigration to Canada.

IRCC said the pages are primarily in Arabic and some “are illegally using Government of Canada official marks and images to appear as though they connected to Canada when they are not.”

The government also reported that some scammers are using social media to contact individuals in Turkey and Lebanon directly with the promise of immigration to Canada. Some individuals have been defrauded of thousands of dollars by such “ghost consultants,” IRCC reported.

IRCC issued the following reminder to anyone who comes into contact with such pages:

• IRCC never uses social media to provide resettlement services.
• To resettle in Canada as a refugee, you must be referred through the United Nations Refugee Agency, a designated referral organization or a private sponsorship group.
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• IRCC will never request documents or payments through social media platforms such as Facebook or WhatsApp.
• IRCC will never contact individuals by telephone or other means to offer resettlement services or immigration to Canada.
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• If you choose to hire an immigration consultant to represent you, make sure they are authorized.