As you embark on your journey as a foreign student in Canada, you may take some time to understand how Canadian government agencies operate. Fraudsters may target you while you are adjusting to your new surroundings. Also, you may not know about the dangers of fraud and could end up falling into their trap.
Now, Canada is considered a relatively safe nation for pursuing higher studies, and the chances of you falling into the trap of fraudsters are low. Even then, it may help to know about the various types of fraud to better equip yourself on how to deal with such situations. So, here we have listed the common types of fraud that international students could fall prey to.
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Scholarship Scams – Offering Scholarship from Canadian University for a fee
While you are applying for study programs in Canada, you may come across scholarship ads. Well, upon applying for the scholarship, if you asked to pay an “application fee”, then you can assume it is a scholarship scam. That is because legitimate scholarships do not charge any application fees.
Also, remember that Canadian Universities offer scholarships on merit basis. That means you should beware of scholarships that do not assess your education credentials.
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Visa Scams- Threatening with deportation on account of invalid Visa
Anybody posing to be an IRCC or CBSA agent and alleging that your visa status is not valid is a scamster. In such cases, fraudsters will also demand that you transfer funds or divulge your bank account details. Do not fall into their devious trap. Note, IRCC and CBSA representatives do not call, threaten or demand payments.
Well, if you receive such calls, you must first ask the caller for his name and employee number. Next, wait for a couple of minutes and call the department contact number to corroborate the authenticity of the caller. It is important to wait for some time for the landline call to get disconnected; else, the scammers could yet be on the line and play a recorded dial tone to fool your further. Better still, you can use your cellphone to call the Canadian agency number.
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Ghostwriting Scams- Assignment writing Services but offering Plagiarized Content
Several fraudulent third-party websites offer to draft your school and college assignments for a fee. You can be a victim of a ghostwriting scam if you make payment in such cases. The scammer will either stop responding to your calls after you make the payment or mail you a plagiarized assignment.
More importantly, you must know that getting somebody else to write your assignments is considered cheating. And you could face the risk of expulsion from the University if you are caught doing so. Never engage in such acts for it may spell doom for your career.
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Outstanding arrest warrant scams- Threatening Arrest or deportation from Canada on account of any alleged offence
In some cases, international students receive calls from persons that claim to be from the Canadian Police. Such fraudsters say that an arrest warrant has been issued against them in their home country or Canada and they could be deported unless they pay up. Or, they could threaten you by saying that your family member will be harmed if you do not make the payment. It is normal to get caught up in the moment and do whatever the caller says, at such times. However, do not panic when you get such calls, for it could be a scam. For your satisfaction, you can call the Regional Police Department to verify the caller’s identity.
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Accommodation Scams- Offering accommodation on attractive rent while they don’t own accommodation
Some students prefer to live-off campus during their Canada study program. Nonetheless, even if you are looking to rent a house on short-term basis outside your University campus, then ensure you take the mandatory precautions. To that end, you should meet the landlord, examine the property, and sign the lease agreement.
Avoid paying any deposit before inspecting the property for scamsters use such tricks to rob you of your money.
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Email or Phishing Scams- One of the Oldest and Common scams
As part of a phishing scam, scammers will try to get access to your confidential information such as credit card details and bank account info. They may claim that you can claim a gift card, prize, or tax refund if you validate certain sensitive information. They may also ask you to click or download links. And after you tap the given link, you will be asked to share confidential data.
Always look for red flags during such situations. These include offers that are too good to be true, incorrect grammar, and unknown senders. Essentially, avoid clicking on any links also. Rather, call the organization’s official contact number to know whether the email was authentic.
WINDING UP
So, now you have an idea about the different tricks scamsters use to deceive you. This helps you to stay vigilant and safeguard yourself against scams. In any case, do not share your personal details or make any payments. Take your time to investigate the matter thoroughly and contact the relevant authorities. After all, you do not want to lose your money and risk damaging your career.