How to report fraud or abuse
Scammers want to take your hard-earned money and make false promises about helping you come to or stay in Canada. They may promise to get your immigration or citizenship application approved faster or fix problems with the application.
Our goal is to find and stop the people committing fraud, not punish the people who were misled.
Protect yourself and others by reporting immigration and citizenship fraud. How you report depends on the type of fraud and whether you’re in or outside Canada.
On this page
Reporting fraud if you’re in Canada
Find out what to do and who to contact in the following situations.
You think someone has committed immigration fraud
Report immigration fraud to the Border Watch Line of the Canada Border Services Agency.
Examples of immigration fraud include the following:
- suspicious activity at the border
- a marriage of convenience
- a person who has given false information on an immigration application
- a person wanted on an immigration warrant
You think someone has committed citizenship fraud
If you think someone has lied or cheated to get Canadian citizenship, you should take these steps:
- Contact the Client Support Centre.
- Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Email IRCC's Citizenship Fraud Tips mailbox.
You suspect your representative has committed fraud or given false information about your application
You should take these steps:
- Report the situation to IRCC by using the web form.
- Report the situation to the Border Watch Line of the Canada Border Services Agency.
- Submit a complaint to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (if your representative is a citizenship or immigration consultant).
- Submit a complaint to the provincial or territorial law society of which your representative is a member (if your representative is a lawyer or paralegal).
You or someone you know is being abused
You should take these steps:
- Call 911 or your local police if it’s an emergency.
- Contact the Client Support Centre.
- Know your rights, know how to identify abuse, neglect and forced marriage, and get help if you’re being abused.
- Find out more about help for foreign workers who are victims of abuse.
You get a suspicious phone call, text message or email
The suspicious call, text message or email is about
your visa application or immigration status
You should take these steps:
- Contact the Client Support Centre.
- Report the call, text message or email to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if it was fake.
- Report the call, text message or email to your local police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police if you gave personal or financial information by mistake.
taxes
You should take these steps:
- Hang up, then confirm if the call was real by calling the Canada Revenue Agency at 1 800-959-8281.
- Report the call to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if it was fake.
- Report the call to your local police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police if you gave personal or financial information by mistake.
other common scams (like fake emails, websites, computer viruses and prizes)
You should take these steps:
- Report the scam to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Report the scam to your local police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police if you gave personal or financial information by mistake.
- Learn how to protect yourself from common scams.
You think your visa documents are fake
You should take these steps:
- Contact the Client Support Centre to speak with one of our employees.
- Report the fake documents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
You’re an international student who is a victim of fraud
If you’re an international student and a victim of document fraud, you may be allowed to stay in Canada. You could be eligible for a temporary resident permit if you meet 3 conditions:
- You came to Canada with a genuine intention to study.
- You unknowingly used fake documents.
- You have been issued a removal order.
You should take these steps:
- Contact the Client Support Centre to discuss your situation with one of our employees.
- Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
You think someone is a victim of human trafficking
You should take these steps:
- Call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010, contact your local police or dial 911.
- Learn more about protection and assistance for victims of human trafficking.
Do not take the law into your own hands or take part in any illegal activity.
Reporting fraud if you’re outside Canada
Find out what to do and who to contact in the following situations.
You think someone is using fake documents to get into Canada
You should take these steps:
- Contact your nearest Canadian visa office.
- Email IRCC's Citizenship Fraud Tips mailbox.
You think your visa documents may be fake
You should take these steps:
- Contact your nearest Canadian visa office.
- Report the fake documents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Contact your local police.
You suspect your representative has committed fraud or given false information about your application
You should take these steps:
- Report the situation to IRCC by using the web form.
- Report the situation to the Border Watch Line of the Canada Border Services Agency.
- Submit a complaint to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (if your representative is a citizenship or immigration consultant).
- Submit a complaint to the provincial or territorial law society of which your representative is a member (if your representative is a lawyer or paralegal).
Top questions about fraud and scams
- What happens if I owe IRCC money? Will you call to ask for unpaid fees?
- Will you ask me for personal information over the phone?
- Do you accept prepaid credit cards, Western Union or Money Gram to pay my fees?
- If I have not paid fees, will you have me arrested or deported?
- I received threats from someone who says they are from the immigration department. Is it a scam?