INTERNET SCAMS

WARNING: Beware of fraudulent offers of migration assistance in the internet or email marketing
Individuals considering migrating for whatever purpose or destination should take extreme caution in dealing with internet offers or email marketing in light of recent surge in fraudulent schemes. These schemes seek to extract money from migrants by claiming their programme is under the auspices of the destination country, lawyers’ associations, IOM, the United Nations or other humanitarian organizations.
IOM is issuing this warning in response to several email requests and queries from various sources asking for assistance in verifying the authenticity of these emails or websites. Potential migrants must be alert on the modus operandi of these unscrupulous operators such as the use of photos of people copy and pasted from the internet or the unauthorized use of name and logo of IOM and/or various UN agencies.
The fraudulent schemes falsely promise visa facilitation and transportation assistance, resettlement opportunities as well as job openings and recruitment abroad. Be extremely wary of any such offers, particularly where money is requested to be sent in advance.
Some of scams of which we are aware are using the following names or close variations thereof:

• Australian Immigrant Workers Recruitment / Resettlement Program (AIWR/RP)
• Canadian Alien Workers Recruitment Agency (CAWRA)
• Canadian Foreign Worker’s Recruitment Program Association (CFWRPA)
• Canadian International Recruitment Centre (CIRC)
• Canadian International Worker’s Recruitment Association (CIWRA)
• Canada Recruitment International Centre (CRIC)
• Canadian Resettlement Agency (CRA)
• Canadian Workers Recruitment Program (CWRP)
• Global Committee on Refugee and Humanitarian Agencies (GCRHA)
• Global Intercontinental Exchange Programme (GIEP)
• Global Refugee and Humanitarian Agency (GRHA)
• Global Recruitment and Resettlement Agency (GRRAOHA)
• International Foreign Workers Recruitment Program Association Canada (IFWRAC, IWRAC or IFWRPA)
• North America Foreign Worker's Recruitment Program Association (NAFWRPA)
• Social Welfare Employment and Recruitment Agency (SWERA)
• United States / Canada Recruitment and Resettlement Agency (USCRARA)
• United States Foreign Workers Recruitment Program (USFWRP)
• Universal Network for Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Foundations (UNHRF)
• Universal Programme for Humanitarian Employment and Resettlement Agencies (UPHERA)
• Universal Network for Humanitarian Employment Opportunities (UNHEO)
• US Workers Resettlement and Recruitment Program (USWRRP)
• US Workers Recruitment Program (USWRP)
• World Refugees Assemblies of Humanitarian Agencies (WRAHA)

If you see any offers using IOM’s name or referring to IOM, please inform your nearest IOM office.