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Notice on Internet fraud
Unscrupulous individuals use the Internet to offer foreign nationals false educational or employment opportunities in Québec. Some claim to represent the government, well-known organizations or large corporations, while others use false documents to convince potential immigrants of the credibility of their proposals.
You should be on your guard, for example:
if someone you’ve “met” on a chat site promises that he or she has the necessary contacts to get you into an immigration program abroad for a specific immigration category (e.g. refugee class) to which you do not belong, as well as if they also ask you to find several other people to participate in such a program.
if individuals who claim to be representatives of the government, well-known organizations or large corporations use e-mail addresses like Yahoo!, Hotmail or AOL.
if they ask you to pay the fees required via a money transfer agent. Reputable transfer agents recommend that you should never use their services to send money to strangers;
if you are asked to enter your file number on a website. In fact, the Ministère will never ask you to enter your file number on its website, except on secure platforms for an online application for a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies or an online application for a Québec selection certificate (CSQ) under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (Mon projet Québec).
A word of warning
Before responding to an offer, find out about the individuals or organizations you are dealing with by consulting a search engine, for example. If you can’t find any reliable information, it is best not to respond to the offer.
Make sure that the people you are corresponding with are really who they claim to be and that the organizations they represent legally exist. Don’t hesitate to ask for proof and to verify it with the appropriate authorities.
On the Internet, always check the address of the website you are visiting in the address bar of your browser. Note that the addresses of the various sections of the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion’s official website always end in gouv.qc.ca.
Avoid long distance transactions unless you’ve already had initial contact with your representative and are sure of his or her legal existence. Ideally, you should be able to visit the intermediary’s office to discuss your plans. Note that the Ministère does not provide any information on immigration intermediaries