Canadian government warns refugees and other immigrants about phone scams

• Extortionists have targeted new arrivals, homing in on those with non-English/French last names and demanding money to avoid denaturalization, passport seizure, or deportation.
• Total complaints—including new arrivals—reached 15,000 in 2015, ten times more than the previous year, and already number more than 5,000 in 2016.
• More than 1,100 victims, native-born and immigrant, have lost more than C$3.5 million (US$2.68 million) since 2014.

Read more:
“Canada warns refugees, immigrants about phone extortion scams” (Reuters)
“RCMP warn of phone scam targeting and threatening immigrants” (CBC News, January 2015)
“Phone scam targets immigrants across Canada” (Global News, January 2015)

(Image Credit: via CBC News)