How real agencies behave — and scammers don't. Fraudsters impersonate the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), IRCC, or other public services to get money or information out of you. Two simple markers: the CRA will never ask for personal or banking information by text or email, and will never demand payment by Interac e-transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift card, according to the CRA. For its part, IRCC will not phone you to demand a payment or threaten you with removal.
Why newcomers are targeted. These scams often target people who arrived recently: you are less familiar with how the agencies work, you worry about your immigration status, and a language barrier makes the trap harder to spot. Fraudsters play on exactly that.
The red flags. Be wary the moment a call, text, or email: threatens you (the words "police", "prison", "arrest warrant", "deportation" come up often); demands immediate payment; asks you to pay by gift card (iTunes, Amazon), cryptocurrency, or Interac e-transfer; asks for your SIN, bank card number, or a password; or pressures you to act right now. A real agency does none of these things.
The risk. Money sent by gift card or cryptocurrency is almost always impossible to recover, and the information you hand over can be used for identity theft. The loss is not only financial: a compromised identity file is slow to repair.
What to do. Do not pay anything, do not share any information, and hang up. If in doubt, contact the agency yourself using the number shown on its official website — never the number the caller gives you. Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, or online. If you have already paid or shared information, also call your local police service.
Good to know for newcomers. Remember one sentence: no government agency asks for payment by gift card, or for a password by text. When in doubt, hang up and call the official number. Our guide to common scams in Quebec describes the other frequent traps.
