Scammers have been pretending to be Members of Parliament on the messaging platform WhatsApp, attempting to deceive individuals into providing money in exchange for false promises of gaining access to subsidized housing, according to a statement from a parliamentarian.
Ryan Turnbull, a Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance, raised awareness about the scam on Friday. He mentioned the existence of two deceptive WhatsApp groups falsely claiming to provide housing or benefits while impersonating MPs.
Screenshots shared by Turnbull with CBC News display a WhatsApp account using his name and photo, offering housing access under the guise of “Building Canada Home,” likely an effort to exploit the name Build Canada Homes, a new government agency managing federal housing initiatives.
In response to the situation, Turnbull remarked, “This is deceptive, unlawful, and I strongly denounce it.” He emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing housing availability and providing genuine assistance to Canadians, condemning the actions of those seeking to deceive individuals through fraudulent schemes and impersonation.
Notably, the fraudulent WhatsApp profile directs users to a no longer operational website that was associated with Turnbull’s identity. Furthermore, the fake profile is connected to WhatsApp groups posing as federal programs, such as “Canada Subsidized Housing Legal Handover Group” and “Canada’s Housing Plan.”
Caroline Desrochers, another Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing, acknowledged being informed about an account pretending to be her. Desrochers labeled such activities as financial scams and urged individuals with inquiries or suspicions to reach out to her office for assistance.
Both Turnbull and Desrochers reported the fraudulent behavior to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Turnbull additionally informed that he had contacted Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, which agreed to eliminate the fake accounts as a response to the issue.