The many kinds of frauds with international student in Canada could be phishing, ghost immigration lawyers, fake job opportunities and such scams. The difference between a good and bad Canada immigration lawyer will also be listed below. So, we recommend that you stay with us to know what are the immigration scams that happen, and how you can protect yourself from them.
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Why do foreign students become targets?
International students in Canada are continuously seen as easy targets since they are studying in another country and are not full grown adults. However, they are not “easy” targets, and fraudsters should know that. So, students, get ready to prepare yourself for the journey ahead.
Scammers know that some foreign students might go to some levels to achieve what they want to do. Some students might be in desperate need of getting a job abroad, while some might not know how to immigrate to another country and seek help from professional lawyers. Now, not everyone can judge if the lawyer they sought out is an honest one or not. Here comes the fraudsters. These scammers act all high and mighty, they would trick you into believing that they will definitely get the job done. But we will know what they actually do. After taking your precious money, they just vanish into thin air. Hence, it is VERY important to be WARY of them.
Fraud Prevention Month of Canada
Canada is continuously in the way of promoting its citizens and all of Canada to be cautious of such scams. To spread awareness, the nation even educates people on immigration scams every March. Throughout the whole month, the country teaches its newcomers on how they can be cautious of immigration fraudsters.
This might be a wonderful time for international students to learn about immigration related frauds as well, so they could continue studying in Canada without having to worry about scams.
Scams That Students Face
Foreign students living and studying in Canada may face certain scams. These frauds may take place via social media platforms, emails, over calls, or through websites. We see such instances of scams happening almost on a daily basis. Hence, these things make it all the way more important to eradicate scams from ever happening.
These scams have deep traumatizing effects on the victims. They could certainly drain the individual financially, but they also affect them socially, as well as emotionally.
Types of Frauds to be Aware of
1. Ghost Consultants
These are very common to find. These people are unlicensed immigration lawyers or consultants. They offer magnificent services for a fee but once you pay the fee, they cease to exist, meaning they vanish without a trace.
2. Phishing
In these scams, what the scammers do is start communicating with foreign students and then ask for their sensitive personal details. This information is actually used to defraud the students. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, phishing frauds were one of the top three most reported kinds of frauds in Canada in 2022.
3. Job offers
Many students who went to a foreign country could be in urgent need of a job so they could continue their studies in the foreign country. To do so, they might become targets of people giving out fake job offers.
4. Accommodation related frauds
One another thing that international students desperately seek is the right kind of housing. And, this makes them vulnerable. Hence, they easily fall prey to the traps set by scammers. A fraudster may appear all friendly and offer to provide them the perfect accommodation, however, as soon as the student pays them, the scammer just disappears with all the money and the student is left with nothing.
