Applying to Canada is already a scary experience, but what makes it worse, is when people take advantage of your hopes and dreams. If you have ever wanted to work or live in Canada, you may know about the process that you need to go through to qualify. Certain criminal individuals have exploited peoples’ hopes of moving to Canada by creating a fake Certificate of Nomination, they claim comes from the Ontario province. Earlier in July 2017, there have been a number of people who have received this fake, “Ontario Certificates of Nomination”. Not only do these people claim that you can now apply to be a permanent resident of Canada, they also claim that you need to pay a “Right of Permanent Residence Fee”. This is not a real nomination. This payment does not exist!
IS Your Nomination Certificate real?
- You will not receive a certificate if you have not applied to any program in Ontario. If you receive one without applying, it is a fake.
- Any real certificate would have the official logo of the Ontario Government on it.
- Look at the address, if you do not see 400 University Avenue, Toronto address, it is not authentic.
- The fax number on the documents may have a 708 area code. This is not the area code for Toronto!
- The “certificate” may also say it is from the CIC Visa Office. Canadian immigration is handled through the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) not the CIC.
- If the document requests that you pay through a wired account. The IRCC does not take payment for any “Right of Permanent Resident Fee”. All legal payments are done through their online system. The only payment you make is for the administration fee.
- The IRCC will not contact you by either phone or email to get personal information or payment from you. Never!
How to keep safe from online fraud
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Do they immediately want personal information?
There are several ways to make going online safer for you. First off, never give out personal information out to just anybody who asks for it. Things like your:
- Mother’s maiden name;
- Passwords to your accounts;
- Account numbers;
- Identification/passport number; and
- Any other sensitive information
There are times you can give out certain personal information. But you must always be sure that you can trust the people you are giving it to.
Is the website secure?
Find out whether your site is safely encoded. Look towards the top left-hand screen of your browser. It will show you if the web page you are on is safe and secure. A little green lock may even appear there as well, along with the Https, this means your information is being encoded by the website, and cannot be read by any other third party.
Is trustworthy information provided by the site?
Always browse on official websites, look for official logos, and the correct name of the organization. Always keep yourself informed about important information.
Look out for things like:
- Privacy Policies;
- Terms and Conditions; and
- Refund Policies
Most legit sites will include these documents somewhere on their web page.
Is the contact information real?
When checking out a website, you can check their contact information. Look at phone codes, fax numbers, etc. You can even google map certain businesses to see if they do exist where they say they do. Missing information, numbers that are not answered, or information that does not match up, can give you an idea that the site may not be trustworthy. Never completely trust everything you see. Make payments through trusted online systems like official government websites, PayPal, Mastercard, and many others. You should always feel safe when making any purchase. Report any suspicious behavior or requests about any Canadian immigration matter to legal authorities. If you have ever been a victim of immigration fraud in Canada, you can report it to the proper authorities. Do not let others make the same mistakes. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on 1-888-495-8501 or on their website