Wellington-Halton Hills MP, Michael Chong, recently issued an alert on his website to local residents and Canadians about a scam involving fraudulent passports and NEXUS border pass services.
Chong, who also serves as Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Communities and Urban Affairs for the opposition Conservatives on Parliament Hill, alerted residents to phishing sites designed to look like official government websites in a release posted Nov. 23.
“Some organizations claim to offer help to Canadian citizens who want to apply for a passport or other travel documents, like a NEXUS card. They try to sell information kits that outline how to apply. Some also falsely claim to be able to speed up the application process for a fee. These websites can look like an official government of Canada agency, however, they are not,” reads the warning on his website.
“Passport application and NEXUS application forms are free and available on the Passport Canada website and Canadian Border Services Agency website, respectively,” it continued.
The release adds no third-party persons, groups, agencies or services are able to speed up the passport or NEXUS application process, and the only way to speed up the process and receive a passport faster is by applying for expedited processing in person at a passport office.
Applications for NEXUS border passes, which allow Canadian residents to bypass border security when traveling to the U.S., must be processed by both the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. Any fees associated with the NEXUS application are collected along with the application submission.
Canadian passport processing fees can only be collected at passport processing locations including: Passport offices, Service Canada Centres, some Canada Post counters and at Government of Canada offices abroad.
Read the full story over at TheIFP.ca
