Edmonton businesswoman fined, put on house arrest for scamming newcomers
An Ontario woman working in Edmonton has been convicted of defrauding newcomers of tens of thousands of dollars.
Maneet 'Mani' Malhotra, the entrepreneur behind NAMI Immigration Inc., has to pay $148,000 in victim restitution and also received an 18-month conditional sentence, including six months of house arrest.
Canada Border Services Agency began investigating her in 2019 after a referral from Alberta's Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office.
CBSA found Malhotra was paid $30,000 by one client and $45,000 by another to arrange work in Alberta.
"Instead of receiving jobs, they were forced into a scheme where they were required to pay for fraudulent pay stubs," CBSA said in a news release Monday.
CBSA investigators also found other instances in which Malhotra charged for immigration services, including fake job offers and forged documents.
She was not a registered immigration consultant or practicing lawyer.
CBSA searched NAMI Immigration in December 2019, finding fraudulent documents and other client information.
She was charged on April 21, 2023, and arrested at her home in Mississauga, Ont., on May 1, 2023.
She pleaded guilty to charging for immigration services without the legal authorization to do so in Edmonton on April 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
MPs to decide on Speaker Fergus' invite flub as Conservatives advance effort to oust him
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
Kitchener, Ont. woman with incurable cancer pushing province to cover rare cancer drug
A rare cancer treatment could potentially extend the life of an Ontario woman. The problem is, the province won’t approve the pricey drug.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.