A widespread phone scam targets Canadian PR applicants and newcomers: a call (often from a spoofed 1-800 number) claims your SIN has been compromised and an arrest warrant has been issued, then pressures you to hand over personal information.
What group members reported:- The pattern is consistent and constant. Members reported receiving these calls for months — some up to five a day, with threatening voicemails when they declined. The script always combines a 'compromised SIN', an 'arrest warrant', and urgency.
- It's always a scam. No member had ever found such a call legitimate. Government agencies do not phone to announce arrest warrants or demand personal details under threat.
- Give nothing. The correct response is to hang up without confirming your name, SIN, or immigration status. (Some members joked about stringing the callers along — if you do engage, still never volunteer any information.)
- Expect them regardless of how careful you are. Members wondered how scammers knew they'd applied for PR; the answer is they generally don't — the calls are mass-dialed, and applying to immigrate just makes the script feel plausible.
- If worried, verify independently: contact Service Canada through its official published number, never a number the caller provides, and report scam calls to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The scam works on fear of jeopardizing an immigration application — knowing the script removes its power.