Telephone scammers targeting immigrants and new Canadians

Immigrants and new Canadians are the target of a recent national phone scam.

Telephone scammers are impersonating federal officials fromImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Victims receive a call on their home phone and are identified by name. The scammer advises the victim that they have failed to report or update their Immigration status.

They often reference Bill C-24 and give the victim an option of paying a $2,500 fine within an hour or face deportation, loss of passport and citizenship.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is reminding the public to look out for warning signs to protect themselves against immigration scams.

The IRCC does not contact clients via phone to collect fines to avoid deportation.

The agency encourages payment of fees through a bank and does not request payments by pre-paid credit cards or through private money transfer services.

People are advised to contact the IRCC call centre (1-888-242-2100) to confirm information regarding their profile and to not trust their caller display.