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Fraudsters in Pakistan drag Canadian High Commission into fake visa scam

Fraudsters in Pakistan drag Canadian High Commission into fake visa scam

Photograph: (AFP)

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Visa fraud rings, which are common in Pakistan, targeted the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad this time, prompting the commission to issue a warning against such scams. 

Fraudsters in Pakistan used the Canadian High Commission's Google Maps pin location to run their scam operation offering Canadian visa services, prompting the commission to issue a public warning against the fraud going on in their name. The scammer added a fake WhatsApp number to the location and was demanding high sums between €250 €450 for visa appointments.

The High Commission, in a post on social media platform X, clarified that it does not manage appointments through WhatsApp and that it does not have an official WhatsApp number.

"Scam Alert: Someone has added a fake WhatsApp number to our Google Maps pin & is demanding €250–€450 for 'appointments.” The name used is Rana Usman Khalid", the high commission said.

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"The High Commission of Canada does NOT charge for appointments & does NOT use WhatsApp to schedule appointments," it added.


The commission further highlighted that it can only be contacted through official email and approved phone numbers on http://travel.gc.ca.

Scams like this, built around Visa fraud, forging documents, are not unusual in Pakistan, involving both individuals attempting to gain entry into other countries using fake documents and fraudulent agents scamming people with false job or visa promises.

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Ajaypal Choudhary

Driven by a deep interest in international politics and geo-economics, Ajaypal Choudhary writes on and analyses a wide range of subjects from geopolitics and the global economy to ...Read More