{"id":7817,"date":"2026-10-06T21:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/scam-red-flags-2\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T21:53:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:53:12","slug":"scam-red-flags","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/scam-red-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"Red flags for fake document offers and agency impersonation in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/ca\/\">Home<\/a> \u203a <a href=\"\/ca\/scam-guides-canada\/\">All Canadian guides<\/a> \u203a Scam red flags<\/nav>\n<p><span class=\"kicker\">Reference<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>Red flags for fake document offers and agency impersonation in Canada<\/h1>\n<div class=\"answer\"><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> The signs repeated across ICBC, IRCC, CELPIP, ESDC and police warnings are: a threat with a deadline, a link to pay, a personal bank account or money transfer, contact started on social media, a promise to skip a test or an exam, a fee for a job offer, and a sender who is not the agency&#8217;s own domain.<\/div>\n<p class=\"meta\">Last reviewed: <time datetime=\"2026-10-05\">2026-10-05<\/time> \u00b7 By <a href=\"\/ca\/author\/\">Mark Dent<\/a><\/p>\n<nav class=\"toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#s1\">Flags about the message<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s2\">Flags about the offer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s3\">Flags about the payment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s4\">Flags about the site<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s5\">A flag table by scenario<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s6\">Why the flags work<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s7\">If you spotted several<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"keyfacts\"><strong>Key facts, each from an official page we opened<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>ICBC: it does not contact customers by text about driving infractions or outstanding debt and does not ask for payment through links in texts.<\/li>\n<li>IRCC: it never asks for a deposit to a personal bank account, a private money transfer or payment by phone, never threatens you and does not start conversations on social media.<\/li>\n<li>CELPIP and IDP: certificates cannot be bought; results are verified electronically and fakes are rejected.<\/li>\n<li>ESDC: no recruitment fees may be charged to the temporary foreign worker, directly or indirectly; a SIN is always free.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>One flag is a reason to slow down. Three is an answer. We list each with the official statement it comes from, so you can check it rather than trust us.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s1\">Flags about the message<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A threat and a deadline.<\/strong> Licence suspension, demerit points and fees in North Bay&#8217;s notice; arrest and deportation in IRCC&#8217;s student notice.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A link to pay.<\/strong> ICBC says it does not ask customers to confirm identity or pay through links in a text.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A number you did not give.<\/strong> North Bay police said the texts came from changing numbers that originate outside Canada.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A generic greeting or a free email address.<\/strong> IRCC says \u201cDear customer\u201d and Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail senders are signs, and that official email ends in .gc.ca or Canada.ca.<\/li>\n<li><strong>It started on social media.<\/strong> IRCC does not begin conversations there; CELPIP lists WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit as places fake offers appear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"s2\">Flags about the offer<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Skip the test, the exam or the process.<\/strong> IDP: \u201cBuy IELTS without giving exam\u201d is nothing but a scam. Every licensing handbook we opened has tests.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A deal for immigrants.<\/strong> IRCC never offers special deals to people who want to immigrate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A fee for a job offer or an LMIA.<\/strong> ESDC requires employers to ensure that no recruitment fees are charged to the worker.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A fee for a SIN.<\/strong> There is no legitimate fee to apply for, replace or protect a SIN.<\/li>\n<li><strong>An IDP from anyone but CAA.<\/strong> CAA says any non-CAA permit is fake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"s3\">Flags about the payment<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A personal bank account, a private money transfer or a card number over the phone: IRCC lists each as something it never does.<\/li>\n<li>A passport service that takes payment online for anything but a renewal: the Government&#8217;s fee page says only renewals can be paid online right now.<\/li>\n<li>Extra fees from someone claiming to be test-company staff: CELPIP says to check with customer service, because scammers sometimes use real employees&#8217; names and photos.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"s4\">Flags about the site<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The address does not match what you typed. IRCC lists a mismatched address bar and a missing https padlock as flags.<\/li>\n<li>A site that claims to be affiliated with the Government. The Competition Bureau&#8217;s July 2026 charges concern such claims about passport services, and remain allegations.<\/li>\n<li>A site that appears first in search results. Placement tells you nothing about who runs it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"s5\">A flag table by scenario<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Scenario<\/th>\n<th>Red flag<\/th>\n<th>What the official source says<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Ticket text<\/td>\n<td>Pay by link or lose your licence<\/td>\n<td>ICBC does not text about infractions or debt.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Immigration call<\/td>\n<td>Pay by transfer or be deported<\/td>\n<td>IRCC never collects fees or fines to avoid deportation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Job offer<\/td>\n<td>Pay for the LMIA<\/td>\n<td>No recruitment fees may be charged to the worker.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Language certificate<\/td>\n<td>High score, no test<\/td>\n<td>Scores are verified electronically and fakes are rejected.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SIN call<\/td>\n<td>Your SIN is blocked<\/td>\n<td>ESDC warns that such claims are scam tactics.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Passport site<\/td>\n<td>A government look-alike with extra fees<\/td>\n<td>Fees are set and paid to the Government.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"s6\">Why the flags work<\/h2>\n<p>None of them proves a message is fake on its own. A real agency can contact you. What the official warnings share is that real agencies stay inside a narrow set of channels and payment routes, and scammers cannot, because the money has to reach a person. That is why the payment flags are the most reliable, and why we keep returning to them.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s7\">If you spotted several<\/h2>\n<p>Do not engage. Keep a screenshot, then use <a href=\"\/ca\/report-fraud-canada\/\">where to report fraud in Canada<\/a>. If you already paid, go to <a href=\"\/ca\/i-was-scammed-canada\/\">what to do now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>What are the signs of a scam text from a government agency?<\/summary>\n<p>A threat and a deadline, a link to pay, an unknown number and a request for personal information. ICBC says it does not contact customers by text about driving infractions or debt.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What does IRCC say it will never do?<\/summary>\n<p>It never asks you to deposit money into a personal bank account or use a private money transfer service, never threatens you, offers no special deals, does not use free email services and does not start conversations on social media.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Is a certificate with no test a scam?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes. CELPIP and IDP both say certificates cannot be bought and that scores are verified, so a fake will be rejected.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Is paying for a job offer a scam?<\/summary>\n<p>Under Temporary Foreign Worker Program requirements the employer must ensure no recruitment fees are charged to the worker. Paying for the offer is a red flag.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"related\">\n<h2>Keep reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/official-checks\/\">How to check a Canadian document<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/report-fraud-canada\/\">Where to report fraud in Canada<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/i-was-scammed-canada\/\">I paid a scammer: what to do now<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources and official links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/icbc.com\/about-icbc\/newsroom\/2025-09-03-scam\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ICBC: warning customers about text message scam (3 September 2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.northbaypolice.ca\/news-releases\/community-alert-fraudulent-service-ontario-text-scam\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">North Bay Police Service: fraudulent Service Ontario text scam (7 August 2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/immigration-refugees-citizenship\/services\/protect-fraud\/internet-email-telephone.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">IRCC: online and telephone immigration scams<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/immigration-refugees-citizenship\/news\/notices\/scam-international-students.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">IRCC notice: scam targeting international students (15 December 2017)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.celpip.ca\/blog\/watch-out-for-celpip-scams\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">CELPIP: watch out for CELPIP scams (25 July 2024)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ielts.idp.com\/prepare\/article-scams\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">IDP IELTS: beware of IELTS scams<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/services\/foreign-workers\/median-wage\/low\/requirements.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ESDC: program requirements for low-wage positions (recruitment fees)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/services\/sin\/protection.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Employment and Social Development Canada: protecting your Social Insurance Number<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.caa.ca\/services\/travel\/international-driving-permit\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">CAA: International Driving Permit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/competition-bureau\/news\/2026\/07\/multiple-charges-laid-in-deceptive-online-passport-service-scam.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Competition Bureau: multiple charges laid in deceptive online passport service scam (28 July 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author\"><strong>About the author<\/strong><br \/>Written by <a href=\"\/ca\/author\/\">Mark Dent<\/a> from the Criminal Code of Canada, provincial and federal government pages, regulator notices and court reporting. We do not sell, issue or arrange any licence, certificate or other document, and we are not a government body. Read the <a href=\"\/ca\/editorial-policy\/\">editorial policy<\/a>, or <a href=\"\/ca\/contact\/\">report a mistake<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home \u203a All Canadian guides \u203a Scam red flags Reference Red flags for fake document offers and agency impersonation in Canada Short answer: The signs repeated across ICBC, IRCC, CELPIP, ESDC and police warnings are: a threat with a deadline, a link to pay, a personal bank account or money transfer, contact started on social [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"truthdocuments-guide","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7817","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7817\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}