Earlier this year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that passenger numbers in 2023 are expected to surpass the 4 billion mark for the first time since 2019. With the surge in travel demand globally, visa applications submitted for various countries are at volumes higher than ever before. But with this increased demand for visa application appointments, comes scammers posing as employees or associates of an organisation; or touts who promise an early appointment at an additional cost to embezzle job-seekers and innocent customers alike.
Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head – Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global shares some of their common modus-operandi, particularly in the digital space:
- Fraudulent parties falsely promising early appointment bookings in exchange for payment.
It is important for applicants to bear in mind that online appointment slots are offered based on the volume of demand or forecast, and in conjunction with the Embassy’s own internal capacity planning. All applicants are strongly advised to be careful of touts and fraudulent parties who falsely promise early appointment bookings in exchange for payment.
Touts could also reach out to customers via chat apps, offering simple assistance such as booking an appointment slot to apply for a visa when appointments are available online on a first-come-first-served basis completely free of cost.
- Acquiring personal and sensitive information through digital means by misusing official credentials.
Phishing is a commonly used fraudulent attempt to acquire personal and sensitive information such as passwords and credit card details, through digital means by misusing official credentials. Considering the presence of imposter sites, it is important to be mindful to never share your personal information on an ‘HTTP’ website to begin with. Always look for websites that begin with ‘HTTPS’ when you are likely to seek or share information.
- Promise of overseas immigration and/or job opportunities.
Another technique used by a scammer is to trap unsuspecting people with the false promise of overseas immigration and/or job opportunities. An all-too-frequent strategy involves a scammer using new software and other technology to clone official web pages of companies like VFS Global and mask their phone numbers, so it appears that the call has indeed come from an official line. The victim is then asked to verify the number on the official website, leading him/her to further believe the caller. The initial call is backed by fabricated job offer letters and official-looking documentation sent via email. To show acceptance of the job offer or immigration opportunity, the email states that the individual will have to make an upfront payment and share personal information to take things forward.
With the presence of location pins and information on popular social media and search platforms, many such fraudsters create a fake presence using the company credentials like logos, official name, etc. and include their contact details in the details provided on these pages that deceive genuine travellers who mistake these details as the official presence of the company.
Sharing personal information such as passport or visa application numbers via public domains on the internet or social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook, is also a risk. Scammers are constantly on the lookout for such information.
Here are some warning signs that indicate a scam:
- Scammers usually request advance payments to personal bank accounts with the threat of visa application rejection or deportation.
- They seek personal information under the pretext of re-validating information in the application.
- Emails about job offers or immigration are sent from fabricated email IDs, usually via commonly used personal email accounts (Gmail, Yahoo.co.in, etc.).
- Pixelated and out-of-proportion logos are used on fabricated documentation (such as job offer letters and contracts).
- All communication stops with the scammer once payment has been made.
