ISLAMABAD: A fake online visa website scam has hit Pakistan’s foreign missions as the victims have reported the fraud to different Pakistan’s foreign missions abroad.
The fraudulent group is charging hefty fee from Pakistanis living abroad for processing the applications for Pakistan’s visa online. The applicants reported to Pakistan’s foreign missions that the fraud group was charging visa fee and other charges from Pakistanis through its website, but later it do not respond to the queries raised by the visa applicants.
Sources said Pakistan’s Consulate General in Vancouver, Canada and some other Pakistan’s foreign missions have reported the scam to Foreign ministry here in Islamabad.
The Foreign ministry has taken prompt action on the complaints and directed to the foreign missions to propagate the scam and create awareness among Pakistanis desirous of seeking Pakistan visa online.
“We have received a written instruction from the Foreign ministry to take every possible steps to protect the applicants desirous of seeking Pakistan’s visa online”, a Pakistani diplomat in one of Pakistan’s foreign missions told NEWSMAN on Monday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Consulate General Vancouver, Canada has circulated a notice dated January 7, 2021 wherein it reported the fraud of a certain group involved in fraud with Pakistanis through a fake online visa application website.
According to the Consulate General in Vancouver, the swindler group launched a fake website http://pakistanvisaonline.org for the fraud.
The Consulate General has clarified that the government of Pakistan entertains visa applications only submitted on its official website www.visa.nadra.gov.pk
According to the Consulate General in Vancouver, Canada, the fraud visa website has already been blocked. However, it issued alert for Pakistanis to stay away from any fake website while applying for online visa. The Foreign ministry also highlighted that Pakistanis living abroad should only use the official website of government of Pakistan for seeking online visa.
Online visa application scam was also echoing in social media since long, but the concerned government departments did not take its notice till it was reported by Pakistan’s missions abroad to the Foreign Affairs ministry.