The Canadian embassy has warned people not be fooled by an internet scam that offers work visas to Canada for a fee.
An officer at the mission said the victims have been calling the embassy or sending e-mails asking about the status of their visas. "We are very anxious to set this right," said Kathleen Nectoux, head of the visa section.
She said the victims first started calling early spring, but since August the embassy has been receiving about three calls per week. She said the people apparently had sent money ranging between C$75 (Dh232) to C$1,000 (about Dh3,100) to various countries in Africa.
The officer said since this is a transnational crime, the cases have been forwarded to the relevant law enforcement agency. She said it was not sure whether Interpol would be handling this crime.
She said the scammers use free e-mail services like Yahoo and have e-mail addresses such as Canada.visa or Canada.immigration.
The applicants were promised job visas at hotels in Canada or guaranteed passing of medical examinations. "One applicant was promised a 'green card' for Canada," she said. Green cards are landed immigrant permits in the United States. The hotels' addresses were apparently fake and did not exist.
The visa officer said the number of victims is growing and other Canadian embassies in the region have also reported the scams. "This has been reported from as far away as Hong Kong," she said. "Unfortunately their funds have been lost."
Applicants are advised to consult only the official website at www.cic.gc.ca or contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi directly at: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca, or the mission in Dubai.
A release from the embassy warns: "Beware of representatives who claim that you will obtain a special treatment from the Canadian Government and offer unconditional guarantees of success."
It adds that if you seek professional help, then the paid immigration consultant or representative has to be an authorised one and should be a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants. The lawyer consulted should be a member of the Canadian law society, it said.
The embassy recommends that applicants go to the website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/consultants/general-info.html to get information about paid representatives and avoid becoming victim of a scam.
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