Kenyans intending to travel to the United Kingdom have been advised to be very careful following the unmasking of a highly organized visa scam ring by the UK government. The warning has come out at a period when fraudulent deals that take advantage of anxiety and desperation among applicants are on the rise.
The British High Commission in Kenya warned in a statement on Monday that fraudsters have scaled up their tactics, calling, emailing, and creating fake websites to dupe applicants into revealing personal information.
“If you receive an unexpected email, telephone call or letter from someone who claims to be from the Home Office, it may be a scam. We will never contact you to ask for money or your personal details,” a statement on GOV.UK, the official platform for UK government departments, read.
According to UK authorities, these scammers work at both national and international levels and often present themselves as contacts who can “easily” solve supposed problems with a visa application. Fraudsters employ official-sounding language, forged documents, and job offer letters that look legitimate to create a plausible story to trap unsuspecting applicants. Their schemes often sound authentic because they possess personal details about their targets.
One of the most common scams involves fake job offers, followed by demands for payment of visa fees or processing charges. The British High Commission stressed that the UK visa process has no shortcuts, and no genuine employer will ever ask an applicant to pay for a visa or any related fees. Anyone claiming to “guarantee” a job in the UK is almost certainly a fraudster.
The commission also flagged another widespread scam in which impostors pose as Home Office or Visa Application Centre staff. These individuals contact applicants or even visit their homes claiming an urgent issue exists with their visa file before demanding payment through global money-transfer channels. Students, often unfamiliar with the official process, are the most vulnerable.
In an even more elaborate scheme, fraudsters ask work or study visa applicants to make a small deposit as “proof of financial capability.” The UK government explained that while applicants need to show proof of funds, the Home Office does not ever request deposits or payments as proof.
The commission called on applicants to scrutinize documents received or submitted to them for poor spelling, incorrect format, wrong letterheads, and irregular branding, which are common giveaways for forgeries.
Applicants were reminded that all official UK government websites end with gov.uk to reduce the risk of falling victim. In addition, genuine Home Office emails also end in gov.uk, and applicants should always check the sender’s address before responding.
The High Commission further advised Kenyans to treat any offer that sounds too good to be true with suspicion and to limit the personal information they share when fraud is suspected.
Victims or potential victims within the UK were urged to report incidents to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre. Those outside the UK, including Kenyans, should immediately report such cases to their local authorities.
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