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Toronto Woman Defrauds Immigrants of $2 Million in Immigration Scam

Toronto woman defrauds 600+ immigrants in $2M scam. Victims lost money via fake transcripts, visas, and migration documents.

Updated July 20262 min readBy FACTS Transcripts Editorial Team
https://factstranscript.com/blog/toronto-woman-defrauds-immigrants-of-2-million-in-immigration-scam

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12-07-2026,
By FACTS Admin

Toronto Woman Defrauds Immigrants of $2 Million in Immigration Scam

Toronto Woman Defrauds Immigrants of $2 Million in Immigration Scam

Toronto Immigration Scam Exposes Over 600 Victims – Know How to Stay Safe

Immigration fraud continues to be a serious concern for prospective migrants. In a recent case, over 600 individuals — mostly from the Philippines — were allegedly defrauded by a Toronto-based employment agency.

Who is Involved? – The GoWest Jobs International Fraud Case

Imelda “Mel” Fronda Saluma, 46, owner of GoWest Jobs International, is at the center of this multi-million-dollar immigration scam. Based in Toronto, her agency allegedly collected over $2 million through fraudulent immigration services.

How the Scam Worked

  • Each client paid around $5,000 in three installments: job matching, employment contracts, and visa issuance.
  • Payments were requested in cash only — a major red flag for immigration fraud.
  • Clients received falsified employment contracts, work visas, and immigration documents.

Many of the victims were Filipino immigrants who learned about Saluma through word-of-mouth in the Filipino-Canadian community.

Consequences of Using Fake Documents

Clients unknowingly submitted fraudulent immigration documents such as forged employment contracts and work visas to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. As a result:

  • Many were denied entry into Canada.
  • Some received a 2-year ban from reapplying for immigration.

Agnes Aquino, a victim of the scam, shared with the Toronto Star: “Even though we always had to pay in cash, we didn’t suspect anything… We had this blind faith.”

Protect Yourself – How to Avoid Immigration Fraud

Immigration scams are often disguised as helpful services. Here are key verification steps and tips to avoid falling into similar traps:

  • Never trust agencies asking for cash payments without receipts.
  • Verify immigration consultants or lawyers through provincial bar associations.
  • Always confirm the authenticity of transcripts, migration certificates, and medium of instruction letters before submitting them to immigration authorities.
  • Use reputed services for WES verification and credential assessments to avoid document rejection.

FACTS Transcripts – Helping You with Secure Document Procurement

At FACTS Transcripts and Verification Inc, we assist students and professionals with:

  • Official transcripts
  • Migration certificates and provisional degrees
  • Medium of instruction letters
  • Document verification for WES, IQAS, ICES, and more

Protect your future. Choose legal, transparent, and verified document services for all your immigration needs.

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Comprehensive Guide to Verification and Transcripts

Welcome! Explore our streamlined services designed to meet compliance requirements forWES, IQAS, SAQA, PEBC, NDEB, NASBA, CAPR, NZQA, ICAS, NCESS, ICES, and more.

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https://factstranscript.com/blog/toronto-woman-defrauds-immigrants-of-2-million-in-immigration-scam

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most common questions about sending transcripts to WES from India.

From the day you place the order to the day WES issues your ECA report typically takes 30–60 working days. The biggest variable is your university's transcript processing time — some universities issue in 1 week, others take 6+ weeks. Apply at least 60 days before you need the report.

No. WES does not accept transcripts sent by the applicant. The documents must come directly from your university or through an authorized service that picks up sealed envelopes from the university and dispatches them to WES.

The total cost is typically ₹22,000–₹30,000 for one degree. This includes the WES application fee (₹16,000–₹22,000), university transcript fee (₹500–₹3,000), and either international courier (₹2,500–₹4,000) or FACTS service fee (₹4,500–₹6,000).

If WES finds an issue — opened envelope, missing document, wrong address — they post the issue in your online account and pause processing. You must request fresh documents from your university and have them re-dispatched. This can add 4–8 weeks to your timeline, which is why first-time accuracy matters.

WES doesn't require an MOI letter for the ECA itself, but Canadian immigration (IRCC) and many universities accept MOI letters in lieu of IELTS/TOEFL. If your degree was taught in English, request an MOI letter from your university — FACTS can obtain it alongside your transcripts.

Yes. If you have a Bachelor's from one university and a Master's from another, FACTS can handle all of them in a single coordinated order, ensuring everything reaches WES in the right packaging with your reference number.

Some universities only mail to Indian addresses. In that case, FACTS receives the sealed envelope from your university and forwards it to WES via tracked international courier — fully compliant with WES's direct-dispatch requirement, since the seal is never broken.

WES ECA reports are valid for 5 years from the date of issue. If your immigration application is delayed beyond 5 years, you'll need a new evaluation.

WES offers a 7-business-day expedited evaluation for an additional fee at their end. However, the bigger time consumers are your university's transcript processing and international shipping — and those can't be expedited by WES. The fastest practical path is to use a service like FACTS that knows exactly which universities respond fastest and how to dispatch immediately upon receipt.

WES Canada (Toronto) is used for Canadian immigration, education, and licensing. WES USA (New York) is used for U.S. university admissions, employment, and licensing. The application process and required documents are nearly identical, but reports are issued separately for each — you cannot use a WES Canada report for a U.S. application or vice versa.

Related Guides

ECA Service

WES Transcript & Verification Services from India

 Process Guide

WES Verification Process — Complete Walkthrough

 Immigration

Transcripts for Canada Immigration — Express Entry & PNP

 MOI Letter

Medium of Instruction Letter — Complete Guide

 ECA Service

IQAS Transcript Services for Alberta Applicants

 Upload Guide

How to Upload Your Degree Certificate to WES

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