The Technology Transparency Project (TTP) is calling on social media giant Meta to crack down on Canadian visa scams spreading on its platforms.
The organization is a research initiative empowering large corporations. According to a summary of an investigation she conducted, posts from Facebook accounts claiming to be immigration lawyers target immigration applicants offering free travel to Canada, with employment and housing accessible through websites.
“The websites tell users that they need to invite their friends via WhatsApp before they can access the visa program, turning them into unwitting spreaders of the scam,” the report said. “The sites, however, never produce the promised visa information, or any legitimate Canadian immigration information.”
The websites collect the personal data of unsuspecting people, which can be used for identity theft, according to the group.
The Government of Canada warned users about the scam, posting on the Canadian Embassy in Panama’s Facebook page as one of the ways to reach potential victims.
“The Embassy understands that a fake WhatsApp message is circulating regarding a Canadian government recruitment for 2022. This message is not from the Government of Canada. We advise against providing your personal information to unknown third parties,” read translated messages.
According to TTP, Meta is fully aware of these scams and “appears to take no action against the messages”, violating Meta’s own policies against fraud and deception.
In a statement to CTV News on Monday, the company said, “We are committed to ending scam attempts and encourage users to report suspicious content to us.”
A spokesperson for Meta went on to say that “harmful content has no place on our platform, and we have policies and technology in place to detect and remove it. We are reviewing the report of TTP, have removed the content for violating our rules and will continue to take steps to keep our community safe.”
According to TTP, Google appears to be playing a role in allowing fake visa websites to use analytics and advertising tools to collect more data about people and profit from page views.
In an article about its investigation, the TTP shows identical posts on Facebook and WhatsApp advertising fake visas in groups for migrants from Central America, South America and Africa.
“The messages state that Canada is recruiting more than 450,000 migrant workers and promises funded travel, free housing, immediate work permits and legal assistance from the Canadian government for all migrants over the age of 16,” the report said. of TTP.
Before the fake website opens, a box asks users to send the information to at least 15 other people. TTP translated a site from Spanish saying: “Your Canadian visa form will be available once you click the ‘Invite Friends/Groups’ button below to share this information with 15 friends or 5 groups on WhatsApp … If you do not complete this step correctly, the visa form page will not load.
Other versions of the scam involve Facebook profiles of people claiming to be immigration lawyers. One alleged fake profile found by TTP is that of “Janelis Osoria/Osoria Rosados”, which the group says keeps changing variations of the name.
“The account invites users who respond to posts about working in Canada to private message them for more information,” the TTP report said.
Early versions of the scam in January 2022 used the TinyUrl link shortener service to direct users to a fake app page. In February, TinyUrl took down the link, stepping in to remove what it called “spam, fraud, or moneymaking scams.”
TTP says Meta did nothing similar to stop the ads.
The organization points out in its research how easy it is to spot fake profiles and advertisements, citing Meta that could easily remove them.
“The Canadian visa scam is remarkable for its audacity. The same accounts post the same misinformation messages over and over again,” the TTP report reads.
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