Canada increases charges against immigration fraudster

The Canadian immigration authority is warning migrants hoping to bring their families to join them to beware of increasing scams by so-called immigration consultancies.

Seven new fraud charges have now been brought against Angelina Codina, who is accused of defrauding dozens of immigrants by promising to bring their relatives to join them. Earlier this month, Codina was charged with representing clients without being certified as a lawyer or immigration consultant.

Codina has a history of fraudulent behaviour, having been convicted 14 years ago of grand larceny and sentenced to nine years’ jail. Two years after her conviction she was disbarred from practicing law for stealing CA$20,000 from the legal aid service, and has a number of small claims court decisions against her.

One victim, Mehrdad Dostmohammadi, told reporters that his family in Iran had sold their home for CA$15,000 to pay Codina to bring his brother to Canada to join him. Codina had promised he would be admitted between eight to ten months, but the money has vanished and she has done nothing, said Mehrdad.

According to immigration lawyer Robin Seligman, scams of this kind are common in Canada, as the country has no regulatory control over fraudsters dealing with immigrants. Seligman is calling for increased regulations and consumer protection, and warns those desperate to bring their families to Canada to take care in selecting the right advisers.