The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued an alert on 8 March warning Canadians and foreign nationals of a spike in scam calls, texts and emails from fraudsters posing as CBSA officers. Victims are told they owe duties or face deportation unless they pay immediately or provide personal data.
The agency stressed that it never requests Social Insurance Numbers or credit-card payments by phone or messenger apps. Anyone contacted should hang up and report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The advisory coincides with Fraud Prevention Month, during which CBSA, IRCC and the Competition Bureau run public-awareness campaigns.
![CBSA warns of border-officer impersonation scams as Fraud Prevention Month begins]()
VisaHQ can support both individuals and corporate mobility teams by streamlining legitimate visa and travel-document applications and by providing up-to-date guidance on Canadian border procedures, reducing the likelihood of falling prey to fraudsters. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
For employers that sponsor work permits or manage international assignees, the scam poses reputational and compliance risks. Newcomers unfamiliar with Canadian processes may panic and transfer funds, compromising both personal and corporate data. HR teams should include CBSA scam awareness in onboarding sessions and distribute the official CBSA bulletin company-wide.
The warning comes as immigration fraud cases rise: IRCC reports more than 95,000 refusals for misrepresentation last year, and fines for unlicensed consultants now reach $1.5 million. Expect continued enforcement and public-education efforts throughout March.
The agency stressed that it never requests Social Insurance Numbers or credit-card payments by phone or messenger apps. Anyone contacted should hang up and report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The advisory coincides with Fraud Prevention Month, during which CBSA, IRCC and the Competition Bureau run public-awareness campaigns.
VisaHQ can support both individuals and corporate mobility teams by streamlining legitimate visa and travel-document applications and by providing up-to-date guidance on Canadian border procedures, reducing the likelihood of falling prey to fraudsters. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
For employers that sponsor work permits or manage international assignees, the scam poses reputational and compliance risks. Newcomers unfamiliar with Canadian processes may panic and transfer funds, compromising both personal and corporate data. HR teams should include CBSA scam awareness in onboarding sessions and distribute the official CBSA bulletin company-wide.
The warning comes as immigration fraud cases rise: IRCC reports more than 95,000 refusals for misrepresentation last year, and fines for unlicensed consultants now reach $1.5 million. Expect continued enforcement and public-education efforts throughout March.
