Credit Card Information Requested by CIC (Need Your Opinion)

[cyberstan]

Hi everyone, my wife received last week a letter coming from CIC confirming that her application for family sponsorship had been completed. She was requested to pay CND 980 (for 2 applicants) for landing fee which she did the payment via on line (CIC website) through her TD Canada credit card. She received confirmation of payment (in PDF format) and printed the official receipt with barcodes. This morning she received a text message from CIC agent requesting her credit card number. The text message contains the following:
“Dear Mrs.XXX, We are officially sending this message from Citizenship and Immigration Canada regarding your application for permanent resident under the live in caregiver. Please expect 2 months for your family to come here to Canada However, you are obliged to give your Canada Trust Visa to this number. We look forward for your reply. With Regards..Agent XXXX.”
Here are my question:

•Why CIC is asking the credit card number when her payment for RFPR is already confirmed with an official receipt and confirmation of payment has been concluded.
•Would CIC send communications through SMS rather than e-mail. BTW, the text was send on Saturday
•Is it safe to reply and give the credit card number or should my wife call CIC for verification of the request.Whats the purpose of asking her credit card number?

Anyone here who had the same experience? Your replies will be highly appreciated. Regards.

 

[zardoz]

Hi everyone, my wife received last week a letter coming from CIC confirming that her application for family sponsorship had been completed. She was requested to pay CND 980 (for 2 applicants) for landing fee which she did the payment via on line (CIC website) through her TD Canada credit card. She received confirmation of payment (in PDF format) and printed the official receipt with barcodes. This morning she received a text message from CIC agent requesting her credit card number. The text message contains the following:
“Dear Mrs.XXX, We are officially sending from Citizenship and Immigration Canada regarding your application for permanent resident under the Live in caregiver. Please expect 2 months for your family to come here to Canada However, you are obliged to give your Canada Trust Visa to this number. We look forward for your reply. With Regards..Agent XXXX.”
Here are my question:• Why CIC is asking the credit card number when her payment for RFPR is already confirmed with an official receipt and confirmation of payment has been concluded.
• Would CIC send communications through SMS rather than e-mail. BTW, the text was send on Saturday
• Is it safe to reply and give the credit card number or should my wife call CIC for verification of the request.

• waht is the purpose of asking her credit card number?

Anyone here who had the same experience?
Your replies will be highly appreciated. Regards..

This is a scam. It's not the way CIC takes payment. Report this to CIC or the police by all means, but don't give out the card information.

 

[MilesAway]

I agree. Everything about that sets off alarm bells in my head.
-CIC does not communicate by text message.
-CIC never tells you how long to wait for your visa
-CIC will never ask you for your CC information, they want the receipt, and the info is blurred out on the receipt
-CIC will never list an agent's name.

So yes, it's a scam.

 

[cyberstan]

thanks for the alarm

 

[tink23]

That is messed up. Contact the police immediately, and tomorrow morning contact cic immediately. There has obviously been a breach somewhere of information, possibly someone who hacked into information, or maybe someone who has access to this information. This needs to be stopped because you know, someone who is anxiously waiting for visa approval will send their information! Thank goodness you and your wife had a weary feeling and refrained from sending them that information! I hope they're able to trace the sender, but it might be pretty hard.

 

[Avadava]

This is a scam, report it to the police and CIC. It is most likely someone that knows your wife (s/he knows her name, telephone number and the fact that she applied for PR under the Live in Caregiver Program).

And the person who wrote the text message doesn't even speak proper English. Like someone said before, CIC doesn't communicate via text message and they will never ask you for you credit card information.

 

[cyberstan]

My wife received the SMS 5 days after she paid online (CIC Website) her RPRF through her Canada Trust CC.

 

[cyberstan]

That is messed up. Contact the police immediately, and tomorrow morning contact cic immediately. There has obviously been a breach somewhere of information, possibly someone who hacked into information, or maybe someone who has access to this information. This needs to be stopped because you know, someone who is anxiously waiting for visa approval will send their information! Thank goodness you and your wife had a weary feeling and refrained from sending them that information! I hope they're able to trace the sender, but it might be pretty hard.

thanks..this is serious. I will ask my wife to give the phone number of the sender,..

 

[mekima]

That is fraud right there. Seems the person needs some grammar lessons too. Report it right away.

 

[MissRepresentation]

Obviously a scam. Like others have said, CIC doesn't communicate using text messages, plus another telltale sign is the poor grammar used by the sender. Report it asap.