The Consulate General of India in Toronto has warned Indian nationals about scammers falsely claiming to be diplomatic officials to obtain money and personal information….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The Consulate General of India in Toronto has cautioned Indian nationals in Canada against a growing number of fraudulent telephone calls from scammers impersonating diplomatic officials and attempting to obtain personal information or money.
In a fresh advisory, the mission said it had received continuous reports of spoofed calls related to Canadian visas, permanent residency applications, immigration status and employment opportunities. According to the consulate, fraudsters have been falsely identifying themselves as representatives of the Indian diplomatic mission in Toronto.
The mission noted that some callers have introduced themselves as officials of the Consulate General of India in an effort to mislead individuals and extract sensitive information or financial payments.
Clarifying its role, the consulate stressed that it has no authority over matters concerning Canadian visas, permanent residency applications, immigration issues or job offers.
“The Consulate General of India does not deal with matters related to Canadian visas, PR applications, immigration status or employment opportunities,” the advisory said.
The mission urged Indian nationals not to engage with such callers and warned against disclosing personal details, banking information or making any financial transfers based on telephone requests.
Individuals who receive such calls or fall victim to the scam have been advised to report the incidents immediately to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre as well as local law enforcement authorities.
The consulate also outlined the services that fall within its official mandate, including passport services, police clearance certificates, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, attestation services and powers of attorney.
To help people identify legitimate communications, the mission said all official emails are sent from addresses ending with “@mea.gov.in”.
It further explained that when a consular official contacts an applicant regarding a service request, the official will always provide their name, department and relevant application reference details.
The advisory emphasised that consular officials never request payments over the telephone under any circumstances.
“The Consulate does not demand money through phone calls,” the mission reiterated.
In addition, the advisory directed citizens to official Canadian resources that provide information on caller ID spoofing, cybercrime reporting and fraud prevention measures.
The warning comes amid a rise in reports of fraudsters impersonating government and diplomatic officials to target Indian nationals living abroad. Similar advisories have been issued by several Indian diplomatic missions worldwide in recent years as authorities seek to combat scams designed to extort money or obtain sensitive personal information.
The Consulate General urged members of the Indian community in Canada to remain vigilant and verify any suspicious communication through official channels before responding.
