Bogus agencies are targeting Indians with fake job advertisements in the UAE and Europe, luring unsuspecting applicants with false promises of employment and residency in exchange for payment.
In an advisory, the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate general of India in Dubai have urged Indians to exercise caution when dealing with private visa and migration agencies based outside India, including some operating in the Emirates.
The missions said they have received complaints of agencies advertising third-country employment opportunities and residency visa services.
The consulate told The National it has “received a large number of complaints, mostly from southern states of India, directly from individuals or through welfare associations”.
“The job offers are mostly for European countries,” a representative said. "Social media is the most common source of such advertisements and in most cases the individuals have transferred their money from India."
The missions advised would-be job applicants not to rely solely on social media advertisements or promises from private visa-processing agencies. They should verify visa requirements, application procedures and authorised channels directly with the embassy or consulate of the country they want to visit.
Applicants were also told to consult official government websites for the latest immigration information before making payments or sharing personal documents, and were urged to be wary of anyone promising overseas jobs or residency permits in exchange for payment.
The latest advisory follows a warning issued by the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi in August about unauthorised people offering consular services.
According to previous warnings, scammers have targeted Indian citizens, particularly blue-collar workers, by posing as agents who claim they can arrange emergency certificates, exit permits, Emirates ID, visa regularisation and employment.
In some cases, fraudsters obtain victims' facial images and fingerprint scans under false pretences. They may then misuse this information to conduct financial transactions, open bank accounts or get loans and credit cards in victims' names without their knowledge or consent.
Victims could then face financial liabilities and potential legal consequences, including fines, travel bans or imprisonment.
The missions have urged Indian citizens to verify the credentials of anyone offering consular or immigration-related services before sharing biometric data or other sensitive personal information.
Passport-related scams
India's top crime-investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, also warned citizens on Friday about passport-related fraud involving people impersonating agents or police officials.
The CBI said fraudsters may promise faster processing, guaranteed approval or immediate appointments while demanding money and personal information. Some also create lookalike websites of official passport portals to collect application fees, banking details and identity documents.
Other scams involve fake police verification calls in which victims are threatened with delays, passport cancellation or legal action unless they pay a fine or disclose personal information. Scammers may also offer fake passport updates, renewals and delivery services to extract money and sensitive data.
The CBI reiterated that no agent can guarantee passport approval or promise special access to urgent processing. It offered tips to avoid falling victim to recruitment, visa and passport scams.
- Do not pay anyone who promises guaranteed passport approval, urgent processing, or a confirmed overseas job
- Do not click on suspicious links or make payments through unverified websites
- Never share bank PINs, passwords or other confidential banking information
- Do not respond to calls threatening passport cancellation, legal action, or police intervention unless you pay a fine
- Avoid sharing copies of passports, identity documents or biometric information with unknown individuals or unauthorised agencies.