The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the federal agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services, has warned in a press release of a scam asking applicants for Canadian immigration for money.

The CBSA stated that a letter has been circulating that requests funds from immigration applicants. This fake letter makes use of the CBSA logo. The scam occurs every few months and is used by a variety of scammers.

The CBSA reminded Canadians and immigration applicants that they can help fight this type of fraud and protect themselves by knowing the signs of fraud and taking action.

What to look for:

• Recognize the signs of a scam and immediately report any suspected fraudulent activity to authorities. For example, be aware of claims that an offer is legal or has government approval — many scammers will tell you this. If you have provided personal details, you could have your identity stolen.
• In general, scammers make their money by persuading you to pay fees or taxes, call their premium rate phone numbers (for which prices higher than normal are charged to you) or send premium text messages to claim a prize. These premium rate calls can be very expensive, and the scammers will try to keep you on the line for a long time or ask you to call a different premium rate number.

You should immediately report any suspected fraudulent activity to your local police as a first step, and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.