Police are warning newcomers to Canada about a scam in which a caller threatens to deport them if they don’t pay a fee.
Someone has already fallen victim to the scam and police are concerned there could be more victims who are scared to come forward.
The call comes in from a 1-800-number and the person on the other end of the line claims to be a Canada Border Services agent.
“He informed the man that he and his family were slated to be deported from the country back to their native land,” says Const. Pierre Bourdages, spokesman for the Halifax Regional Police. “The man stated he could stall the process if the man would send money.”
Scared of being kicked out of the country, the victim wired money to the suspect.
Gerry Mills, who works with Immigration Settlement and Integration Services, says immigrants are an easy target for scam artist.
“They don’t know who to turn to,” says Mills. “They often maybe don’t trust authority and so they aren’t sure whether it is true or not true when someone calls them.”
Mills says the latest scam is particularly concerning, as it plays on their fears of having to return to their home country.
“It’s really concerning that somebody would pick on the most vulnerable.”
Ortal Faibushenko, who has been in Nova Scotia for five months, is taking a workplace communication class with Immigration Settlement and Integration Services. Along with learning the language, the class is taught life lessons, including information about scams and frauds.
“Like everywhere, there are people that are not honest and we should be careful and think about what information we give,” says Faibushenko.
Anyone who may have fallen victim to the scam or has information about it is asked to contact police.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Marie Adsett
