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Scams That Target Newcomers to Canada Scams that target newcomers, and how to shut them down.

New arrivals are a favourite target: you're still learning how things work here, and a lot rides on your papers. These are the scams the Canadian government and Thunder Bay Police warn about most, what the real agencies will never do, and who to call.

Last checked October 27, 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the linked page before you go or pay anything. Soma kwa Kiswahili.

1. The signs of a scam

Urgency. Thunder Bay Police call it strong evidence of a scam. Hang up or delete the message.
Strange ways to pay: gift cards, prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, Western Union, MoneyGram, an e-transfer, or a deposit into someone's personal account.
Threats: arrest, deportation, or losing your passport or status if you don't pay now.
Guarantees: no one can guarantee you a job, a visa or permanent residence.
The caller ID looks right. It can be faked. Hang up and call back on a number you look up yourself.

Sources: Thunder Bay Police, "Fraud prevention"; IRCC, "Fraud targeting newcomers"

2. Calls pretending to be IRCC, CRA or police

A common one: a caller says they're from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), your documents are incomplete, and you must pay fees now or be deported or lose your passport or citizenship. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre calls this immigration extortion.

IRCC will never

ask for any payment by phone;
send a visa by email;
ask you to pay into a personal bank account or through a private transfer service;
ask for gift cards or prepaid cards;
threaten you;
contact you from Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo or through social media.

Real IRCC fees are paid to the "Receiver General for Canada".

The CRA will never

demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, cryptocurrency, prepaid card or gift card;
threaten to arrest or deport you;
set up a meeting in a public place to take payment;
ask for personal or financial information by voicemail or email.

To check a call, hang up and call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281.

Police will never

demand payment, or threaten arrest by phone or email. A real fraud investigator will never ask for your PIN or come to pick up your bank card.

Don't give your UCI or application number to anyone who calls you. And ignore anyone who says you can claim Canadian benefits for the time before you arrived: you can't.

eCitizen and other Kenyan government services are on .go.ke sites, such as ecitizen.go.ke. The High Commission in Ottawa is kenyahighcommission.ca. Use the links on our consular page rather than links someone sends you. See using eCitizen from Canada.

Sources: IRCC, "Internet, email and telephone scams"; IRCC, "Fraud targeting newcomers"; CRA, "Recognize a scam"; CRA, "Verify a CRA contact"; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Extortion"; Thunder Bay Police

3. Fake consultants and paid job offers

Only these people may charge you for immigration help (how to check them):
- consultants licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants;
- lawyers who belong to a Canadian law society;
- paralegals licensed by the Law Society of Ontario;
- notaries in Quebec.
IRCC fees are the same for everyone, wherever you apply. Fake sites that look official sell "cheap" immigration services or "guaranteed" jobs and ask for access fees or deposits.
Never pay for a job offer. For a job that needs a labour market impact assessment (LMIA), the employer pays any $1,000 processing fee and can't take it back from you, and must make sure no one recruiting for them charges you a fee.

Mistreated on a work permit? The temporary foreign worker tip line is 1-866-602-9448. More on your rights at work and the Thunder Bay RCIP scams.

Sources: IRCC, "Authorized representatives"; IRCC, "Fraud targeting newcomers"; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Service scams"; ESDC, employer requirements; ESDC, "Report abuse"

4. Fake jobs, cheques and money mules

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns about car-wrap offers, fake cheques, "financial agent" and mystery shopper jobs, and crypto "task" jobs. Watch for:

a job offer you never applied for;
a job offer from a free email address, such as Gmail;
a fee to "upgrade" or "unlock" your account, or earnings you can't withdraw;
being asked to recruit others, or to move money through your bank account.

The cheque trick: they send a cheque, you deposit it and send part of it back. The cheque bounces, and you owe the bank the money.
Money mules: if someone sends you money and asks you to send it on, don't. Moving stolen money is money laundering and can lead to criminal charges.

Sources: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Job scams"; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Money mules"

5. Rental scams

Thunder Bay Police say people here have lost deposits sent by e-transfer to "landlords" from online ads who then disappeared. The fraudster:

pushes for a deposit before you can see the place;
has excuses not to meet;
says lots of people want it.

Never send money before you, or someone you trust, have seen the place in person.

Your rights on deposits are in Renting in Thunder Bay. Our rentals list has a link to report a listing that looks wrong.

Source: Thunder Bay Police, "Fraud prevention"

6. Meet a buyer or seller at the police station

Safe Trade Zone

What: Thunder Bay Police opened a Safe Trade Zone at police headquarters for people who have arranged to buy or sell something in person after an online listing. The zone is marked parking spaces covered by video surveillance.

Good for: a choice other than inviting a stranger home or meeting somewhere quiet. Police say online fraud is hard to investigate, and getting the money back is rare.

How: use the Balmoral Street entrance to the police station property, then look immediately to the right. Signs mark the zone.

The non-emergency line is 807-684-1200. For a crime in progress, call 911.

Thunder Bay Police Service, 1200 Balmoral Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5Z5

807-684-1200 Safe Trade Zone

Sources: Thunder Bay Police, "Safe Trade Zone"; "Contact"

7. Student scams

You need a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI). Be wary of anyone who says you can apply without one, or who sells acceptance letters, scholarships or "discount" tuition.
Pay tuition straight to the school, and have the school send your acceptance letter straight to you.
No one can promise a study permit will lead to a job or permanent residence. Don't send documents or money through social media.
A visitor visa or eTA comes free with your study permit.

Source: IRCC, "Study permit fraud"

8. Family emergency and romance scams

"It's me, I have a new number": someone says they're a relative in trouble and needs money now, often by text or social media with a "broken phone" story.
- Call the person back on the number you already have.
- The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says Canada's justice system doesn't let you bail someone out of jail with cash or cryptocurrency sent to a caller.
Romance scams: they move you to WhatsApp or text fast, always have a reason not to meet, say they live nearby but work overseas, or push you toward crypto. Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.

Sending money home safely is in Sending money to Kenya.

Sources: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Emergency scams"; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Romance scams"

9. Door-to-door contracts, payday loans and phone bills

Unsolicited door-to-door contracts for furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, water treatment and duct cleaning are void. You can keep the goods without paying.
Ontario's Homeowner Protection Act bans registering a notice of security interest, a lien, on your home for consumer goods.
A contract over $50 signed at your door has a 10-day cooling-off period, starting the day you get the written copy. You can cancel for any reason.
Consumer Protection Ontario: 1-800-889-9768, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A payday loan costs at most $14 per $100 borrowed. You have 2 business days to cancel, with no fee and no reason required.
For a cell or internet bill you cannot sort out with the provider, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services is free: 1-888-221-1687.

Sources: Government of Ontario, "Door-to-door sales and home service contracts"; Government of Ontario, "Payday loan: your rights"; Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services

10. If you already paid or gave out details

Stay calm. Keep every receipt, email, text and screenshot.
Call your bank, or the bank or service you sent the money through, right away.
If someone has your personal details: flag your accounts, change your passwords, and report it to both credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion.
Report it to Thunder Bay Police and get a file number (below).
Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Watch for a second scam: someone offering to get your money back for a fee. Never pay to recover money.

Sources: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "What to do if you're a victim"; IRCC, "Report fraud"

11. Where to report

In danger right now: Call 911.
Thunder Bay Police: Non-emergency 807-684-1200, the online fraud report, or in person at 1200 Balmoral Street.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501, or report online.
Immigration fraud: CBSA Border Watch Line 1-888-502-9060. If a consultant or other representative was involved, also tell IRCC with its representative report form.
A fake or dishonest consultant: The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, or the Law Society for a lawyer or paralegal.
Abuse of a temporary foreign worker: 1-866-602-9448.
Human trafficking: Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline 1-833-900-1010.
A fake "you won" text: Forward it to 7726, then delete it.

Sources: Thunder Bay Police, "Contact"; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Report"; CBSA, "Border Watch Line"; IRCC, "Report fraud"; IRCC, "Fraud targeting newcomers"

Quick answers

Does IRCC ever call to ask for payment?

No. IRCC says it will never ask for any kind of payment by phone, never asks you to pay into a personal bank account or with gift cards, and never threatens arrest or deportation over fees. IRCC may call about your application or unpaid fees, but won't take payment by phone. Real IRCC fees are paid to the Receiver General for Canada. If in doubt, hang up and call IRCC back on a number from canada.ca.

Can someone charge me for a Canadian job offer?

No. For a job that needs a labour market impact assessment (LMIA), the employer pays any $1,000 processing fee and can't take it back from you, and must make sure no one recruiting for them charges you a fee. Anyone selling a job offer is a red flag.

Where do I report a scam in Thunder Bay?

Call Thunder Bay Police on the non-emergency line, 807-684-1200, or use its online fraud report, and get a file number. Also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online. In danger right now, call 911.

Where can I meet an online buyer or seller in Thunder Bay?

Use the Thunder Bay Police Safe Trade Zone at 1200 Balmoral Street. It is signed parking spaces with video surveillance, in from the Balmoral Street entrance and immediately to the right. It is for a sale you already arranged online. The non-emergency number is 807-684-1200. Call 911 if a crime is happening.

What should I do if I already sent money to a scammer?

Call your bank or the service you used right away, and keep every receipt and message. Report it to Thunder Bay Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Then watch for a second scam: never pay anyone who offers to get your money back.

Can a salesperson sign me up for a furnace at my door?

An unsolicited door-to-door contract for a furnace, air conditioner, water heater, water treatment or duct cleaning is void, and Ontario bans registering a lien on your home for consumer goods. A contract over $50 signed at your door has a 10-day cooling-off period from the day you get the written copy. Consumer Protection Ontario is 1-800-889-9768. A payday loan costs at most $14 per $100, and you have 2 business days to cancel with no fee. For a cell or internet bill, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services is 1-888-221-1687.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Wakenyatbay is a community group, not a government office. If you're not sure whether a call or message is real, hang up and call the agency on a number you look up yourself.

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