Someone is targeting workers who want to come work on Canadian farms
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
People living abroad have been contacting Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) for help to enter Canada to work.
Between June 2021 and early January 2022, FFCO has exchanged emails with at least 10 different families and individuals indicating they’ve been contacted by an FFCO rep to begin immigration processes which would see them come to Canada to work in the ag sector.
“We had one come in from Syria saying the person had been approached by someone from FFCO who wants $500 to process immigration paperwork so they can come to Canada and work on a farm,” Kelly Daynard, executive director of FFCO, told Farms.com. “We’ve had others say the cost is $5,000 to process the paperwork.”
FFCO doesn’t facilitate immigration paperwork.
The organization even put a warning in Arabic on its website should people from that part of the world try contacting them about immigration.
All these messages have come from either Syria or Lebanon, Daynard said.
The victims shared the names of the fake FFCO reps, but no other information is available.
“One is a woman named Yara Sader and the other is a man Mohammed John Luay,” Daynard said. “But we don’t have an email address or a phone number. We don’t even know if these are real people.”
Some of the victims of this scam have even sent through paperwork.
And to the untrained eye, it looks legitimate.
A copy of a fradulent contract received by FFCO with names removed.
FFCO photo.
“Aside from major typos, the letterhead says Employment and Social Development Canada’s agricultural stream,” she said. It’s a full employment contract and the legal business name is Farm & Food Care Ontario. And the contact on the form is (FFCO Program Consultant) Bruce Kelly.”
The situation is sad, Daynard said.
Multiple families have expressed disappointment that they won’t be receiving a new start in Canada.
“One email read ‘We were depending on this job and thought it’s our new future. (Mrs. Sader) completely ruined our lives,’” Daynard said. “You feel for these people and it’s just so unfortunate they’re being taken advantage of like that.”