05/06/2026
FRAUD PREVENTION SERIES — ANATOMY OF A FRAUD
A true-to-life scenario that is happening far too often.
A few days ago, a Sri Lankan client came to see me asking whether the person who was “securing” her a job in Canada was legitimate.
The client had very limited English and could only properly communicate in Sinhalese. She was vulnerable, hopeful, and trusted what she was being told.
The recruiter had guaranteed her a job in Canada and demanded an initial payment of more than 1,000,000 LKR, payable from Sri Lanka in 2–3 instalments.
But the situation became even more alarming.
She was told that once she arrived in Canada, she would then have to continue paying approximately 250,000 LKR per month from her Canadian salary until the full amount requested by the recruiter had been repaid.
At the same time, the person involved had already arranged a fake educational certificate for her application and reassured her by saying: “Don’t worry, it is OK to do that.”
There was only a vague “job offer” with no proper terms or conditions.
• No employment contract had been signed.
• No official invoices or receipts were to be issued for the payments.
• Large sums of money were being requested from the worker for the supposed “job opportunity.”
• The worker was allegedly expected to continue repaying the recruiter from her future Canadian salary.
• There was supposedly a contact person in Canada, yet that individual was neither a licensed recruiter nor an authorized
Canadian immigration practitioner.
At that point, this was no longer simply an immigration matter.
It had all the signs of exploitation, fraud, financial abuse, illegal recruitment practices, and the targeting of a vulnerable person who genuinely believed this was a normal process to come to Canada.
ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT FEES
One of the first major legal red flags here was the request for recruitment fees from the worker herself.
Under Canadian law, temporary foreign workers are generally NOT supposed to pay recruitment fees in exchange for employment opportunities in Canada.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) clearly states that employers — and anyone recruiting on their behalf — cannot directly or indirectly charge or recover recruitment fees from foreign workers.
This includes:
* recruitment fees
* LMIA-related costs
* job placement fees
* employer compliance fees
* “processing fees” disguised under other names
* money later recovered from the worker’s salary
In fact, employers participating in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program must formally attest to the Government of Canada that neither they nor anyone acting on their behalf has charged recruitment fees to the foreign worker.
Ontario law also prohibits recruiters from directly or indirectly charging recruitment fees to foreign nationals.
MISREPRESENTATION UNDER CANADIAN IMMIGRATION LAW
The situation became even more serious when fake educational documents entered the picture.
What many people do not realize is that submitting false educational credentials, fabricated work experience, fake bank statements, or misleading information can trigger very serious consequences under Canadian immigration law.
Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), a person may become inadmissible to Canada for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts that could induce an error in the administration of the Act.
This can result in:
* refusal of the application
* loss of status
* removal proceedings
* inadmissibility to Canada
* and a 5-year ban from Canada
Under section 16 of the IRPA, applicants are also legally required to answer truthfully and provide genuine documentation when requested by immigration authorities.
And under section 127 of the IRPA, knowingly misrepresenting or withholding material facts may also constitute an offence under Canadian immigration law.
Sadly, when things go wrong, the “agent” often disappears, while the applicant is left facing the legal consequences alone.
And in a court of law, the applicant remains responsible for the contents of their own application, even if someone else prepared or submitted it.
PLEASE CREATE AWARENESS AROUND YOU
• Verify who you are dealing with.
• Ask questions.
• Request written agreements and receipts.
• Never agree to false documents or fake information.
• Verify whether the person giving immigration advice is legally authorized to do so.
Protect your future.
One wrong step can affect your life for many years to come.
If you find yourself in a questionable or shady immigration situation like the above, seek proper legal advice before it is too late.
Shortcuts in immigration law often carry very heavy legal consequences.
DM if you require assessment, evaluation or clarification on above.
