Misleading videos on social media are targeting travellers to Canada for FIFA World Cup

Videos making false claims about Canada's immigration policies are popping up on TikTok and Instagram in an attempt to scam travellers coming to FIFA World Cup matches this summer, according to immigration and anti-fraud experts.

Analysis from the CBC's visual investigations team revealed that the social media accounts connected to these posts are based in multiple countries, including India, Pakistan and Canada. CBC News has independently translated videos in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi and found several making inaccurate claims about entering the country for the international soccer tournament.

One video displays screenshots from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, a graphic of a Canadian passport and a waving Canadian flag with a big green check mark next to it.

In the background, a woman speaking in Hindi makes a common claim observed by CBC News: that people coming to Canada on visitor visas for the World Cup can also work and stay for the long term.

"For those who have been wanting to settle in Canada for a very long time ... it's a golden opportunity," she said.

"In most of these cases, these are scams," Calgary-based immigration consultant Mandeep Lidher said. "They are preying on vulnerable people who lack the knowledge or who don't go online and check the official requirements."

These work-related claims are misrepresenting a temporary policy from the IRCC, announced in November, that exempts select FIFA-invited foreign nationals — such as the organization's employees and contractors — from needing the usual government authorizations to work in Canada, experts say.

The IRCC said in a statement to CBC News that the FIFA World Cup is not an opportunity to seek asylum, and "visitors to Canada are expected to respect the conditions of their stay and leave once their authorized period ends."

Another common claim that CBC News observed in the videos was the existence of a "special category" for visitors travelling to Canada for the World Cup.

"For those who want to apply for this visa, we have a big offer for you," a man speaking in Urdu said in another video.

He was selling a visa application package for 150,000 Indian rupees (about $2,220 Cdn) that purportedly includes "embassy fees, match tickets, biometrics and consultancy fees." The man said the "approval ratio would be high" for these types of visas.

But a special visitor's visa for the World Cup does not exist, and the normal checks and balances for entering the country still apply, Lidher said.

"As usual, they will check your finances, your travel history," he said. "One of the main focuses is that you can return to your home country and won't overstay in Canada and file for asylum."

CBC News contacted each social media account for comment but did not hear back before publication. One of the posts was no longer visible within minutes of reaching out.