Friday, March 30, 2012

PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION TO CANADA SCAM REVEALED

Another scam offering high paying jobs and immigration to Canada has surfaced. Advise to applicants: hire a lawyer, service costs money, and nothing is free.

DFA warns vs. Canada immigration scam | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere

DFA warns vs. Canada immigration scam

March 29, 2012 5:30pm
Filipinos who plan to find work or settle in Canada were warned against bogus websites claiming to be affiliated with official Canadian government websites.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said these websites sometimes use the Canada wordmark or Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) logo.

Such sites offer dubious special immigration deals or high-paying jobs for a fee but with no tangible results, the DFA said in a news release.

"The DFA wishes to inform the public that the only people who may charge a fee to represent or advise people in connection with a Canadian immigration proceeding or application are authorized immigration consultants, lawyers, Quebec notaries, and paralegals regulated by a law society," it said.

The DFA also said there is no "immigration consultant" website affiliated with the Canadian government.

"If you are suspicious about a website, do a web search to see if anyone has reported any problems with that site.

Do not pay for offers of guaranteed entry to Canada or faster processing of your application. These claims are false," it said.

The DFA also noted the CIC recently launched a multilingual advertising campaign warning prospective immigrants, permanent residents and Canadian citizens not to be taken in by crooked immigration consultants.

It includes a short video warning people not to be duped into committing marriage fraud.

A video directs people to a special page on the CIC website to find out how to immigrate to Canada "the right way."

CIC also encourages everyone to report immigration fraud by calling the Border Watch Tip Line at 1-888-502-9060 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-888-502-9060 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Under Canada's immigration programs, all people are treated equally, whether they hire someone to represent them or not.

The DFA said the CIC and the Competition Bureau offer the following advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of immigration fraud:
  • Be wary of websites advertised in unsolicited e-mails from strangers and do not give out personal information unless you know who you are dealing with.
  • Before hiring an immigration representative, do your homework: ask for a referral from someone you trust, check their credentials, and discuss the services they will offer.
  • For information on how to choose an immigration representative, one may visit CIC's website.

— VVP, GMA News

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