Canada Warns Visa Applicants Against Emails Seeking Sensitive Banking Details

Canada has warned visa applicants, including Kenyans, about fraudulent emails seeking sensitive banking information and posing as official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) communications.

IRCC said it does collect banking information in legitimate cases involving refunds or payments, but this is done through a secure online form. Applicants receive a personalised link at the email address registered with IRCC, and the link expires after 10 business days.

The department stressed that it does not request credit card details by email. Legitimate payments are processed through electronic funds transfer methods, including direct deposit and wire transfer. Messages generated by IRCC’s banking system come from email addresses ending in @bwf-feib.apps.cic.gc.ca, usually from a do-not-reply account.

IRCC has identified several signs that an email may be fraudulent. These include unexpected messages, generic greetings such as “Dear customer”, demands for urgent action or threats of cancellation, and links leading to websites that are not operated by the Canadian government. Unsolicited attachments, unusually favourable offers and messages presented as images rather than text are also warning signs.

Applicants who are asked to provide additional documents should follow the instructions in the official message rather than replying directly to the sender. IRCC advises recipients to ignore and not respond to suspicious communications. Visa applicants can be particularly vulnerable to scams that use the urgency and importance of immigration decisions to obtain personal or financial information.

IRCC also provides guidance for travellers preparing to enter Canada, including information on electronic travel authorisations (eTAs), visitor visas, study permits and work permits, as well as processing times. A temporary measure currently allows eligible work permit holders to study for up to six months without obtaining a study permit. The measure is scheduled to remain in effect until 31 December 2027 and does not create a new immigration pathway.

Applicants are advised to use official IRCC channels when handling immigration applications and to verify any request for personal or financial information before taking action.