Fake job offers part of immigration scam orchestrated by Mississauga woman
Published May 7, 2024 at 9:20 am
A Mississauga woman has pleaded guilty to running an immigration scheme that included fake job offers to people new to Canada and searching for employment.
Maneet “Mani’ Malhotra entered her guilty plea on April 8 in Edmonton court, admitting to one count of charging for immigration services without the legal authorization to do so.
She received an 18-month conditional sentence, including six months of house arrest, and was ordered to pay $148,000 in victim restitution, Canada Border Services Agency officials said in a news release Monday.
The agency said it launched an investigation in 2019 into the Mississauga woman and her Edmonton-based business, NAMI Immigration Inc., after receiving information from the government of Alberta’s Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office.
“It was determined that two clients paid Malhotra $30,000 and $45,000 to arrange employment in Alberta. Instead of receiving jobs, they were forced into a scheme where they were required to pay for fraudulent pay stubs,” agency officials said in the news release.
Investigators said they also discovered more incidents where Malhotra charged for immigration services that included fake job offers and forged documents.
Videos
Additionally, according to the CBSA, she “did not submit the required official paperwork to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It was determined that Malhotra did not meet the requirements of IRPA to provide immigration-related services as she was not a registered immigration consultant or a practising lawyer.”
The agency recovered “fraudulent immigration-related documents as well as additional client information” during a search warrant executed on Dec. 17, 2019.
In April 2023, charges were laid and Malhotra was subsequently arrested in May of last year at her Mississauga home, the agency said.
CBSA officials said they’re committed to pursuing those who abuse Canada’s immigration system.
“By dismantling fraudulent immigration schemes, we are protecting the integrity of Canada’s borders and safeguarding potential immigrants from exploitation,” said Janalee Bell-Boychuk, agency regional director general (Prairie Region).
The Canada Border Services Agency noted it’s also responsible for identifying, investigating and prosecuting people and organizations connected to organized crime, human smuggling, immigration fraud, terrorism and other major offences.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising