We must all take urgent, meaningful actions to prevent fraud

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, there were over 41,000 victims of fraud last year, with scammers ripping people off for more than $554 million.

From phishing and pyramid schemes to investment and immigration swindles, scammers are continuously finding new ways to exploit people in Canada and around the world.

This March marks the 20th anniversary of Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, and it should serve as a stark reminder about the nefarious threats that abound—and our collective responsibility to take action to crack down on the fraudsters.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), there were over 41,000 Canadian victims of fraud last year, with scammers ripping people off for more than $554 million.

But these numbers don’t tell the real story. The CAFC believes these figures represent a mere fraction of actual fraud cases, estimating that just five to 10 percent of all incidents related to Canadian victims are reported to the CAFC.

With that context, we see that the scale of fraud impact in this country is massive. It also drives home the point that we cannot be complacent. We must all take urgent, meaningful action.

As the world’s largest provider of visa, passport, and consular services to governments and diplomatic missions, VFS Global is keenly aware of the lucrative nature of travel documents to fraudsters. It’s precisely why we take very seriously our responsibility to increase public awareness in order to protect our clients from scammers trying to steal their money or glean their personal information.

We take steps, for example, to remind people that VFS Global has no role or influence on the decision of the visa application, which is the sole purview of the Canadian government through its embassies and consular offices around the world.

We share other tips for fraud prevention, too. For example, take time to carefully scrutinise a company or organisation’s website to ensure it is legitimate, and always be wary of any request for payments or personal details via email, text, or phone call. This is often a red flag.

Take those extra moments to pause before opening up unsolicited emails or clicking on suspicious links or attachments; hover over an email address or link to confirm they are legitimate.

At VFS Global, fraud prevention is a priority because we are entrusted by 67 client governments, including the Government of Canada. Operating more than 3,353 application centres in 149 countries, we have safely processed more than 278 million applications since 2001.

In Canada, our clients are primarily newcomers to the country who are here on work or student visas, and therefore often need to apply for visas to travel abroad.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wisely warns people on its website about scams targeting newcomers. It explains that when you’re new to Canada, you may not be accustomed to how companies or the government do business, so you need to be cautious. Every resident has rights and freedoms protected by Canadian law , and IRCC encourages people to gain a strong understanding of the common scams aimed at newcomers and know how to report them.

IRCC urges people to be skeptical of anyone asking to transfer money or pay fees using prepaid credit cards, Western Union, gift cards, or anyone making threats to arrest or deport you for unpaid fees. Any promise that your file will be approved or given special attention if you send them more money or information is a likely scam.

Every individual, group, or business has a role to play in preventing fraud, and it starts with reporting incidents. Reporting incidents becomes extremely crucial as newer and sophisticated methods emerge. It supports a safe environment for everyone by creating a culture of fostering accountability.

It’s important to:

• Get to know the threat environment.
• Be in a strong position to detect scams.
• Be careful with personal information and secure passwords.
• Report fraud early as it increases the chance that funds can be recovered, and decreases the chance that others will fall victim to the same scam.

This month, I extend a special thanks to the many agencies that work diligently to raise awareness about new scams and work hard to track down and penalise the perpetrators.

I encourage all individuals and businesses to double down on their own efforts to prevent, detect, and report incidents of fraud.

Amit Kumar Sharma is head of Americas at VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.