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Khaleej Times

UAE ‘quick visa' scam: How some firms are cheating people

When Dubai resident Muhammed K. needed a visit visa urgently for his son, he approached a company that advertised on social media about quick visit visas at a premium cost. However, the minute he transferred money into the bank account, the company stopped responding and within days the social media account was deleted. 'I heard that one of the most reputed companies in the UAE was going to have a walk-in interview,' he said. 'The interview was to happen on a Thursday and by the time I heard of it, it was already Monday. My son has been unemployed for more than a year so I thought it would be a great opportunity for him. That is why I wanted the visit visa in a hurry. "The company asked for Dh200 premium in addition to the usual charges for a one-month single entry visit visa. I paid the full sum and they assured me that I would get the visit visa the next day but I soon learnt that it was a scam.' Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. On Monday, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) warned UAE residents and visitors against using unauthorised offices and social media accounts that claim to offer fast-track application processing. The authority also confirmed that it was actively monitoring suspicious accounts and websites and is preparing to take necessary legal action against these fraudulent operators. Need of the hour According to Safeer Mohammed, general manager of Smart Travels, the message by ICP is the 'need of the hour', as they have come across many people who have been duped. 'There are many who are spreading false advertising through social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok promising visit visas in one day or for reduced charges,' he said. 'Several people have come to us saying they have been duped and we have helped them with the process.' Abdul Gafoor, general manager of Al Mas Businessmen Service, explained that no company or firm can advertise fast-track visa services. 'Whether to give a visa or not and how much time it will take is solely at the discretion of the ICP or the General Directorate (GDRFA),' he said. 'No company can guarantee a visa or how much time it will take. We have had cases where some members of a family have been granted visa while others were denied. If any company guarantees any kind of visas, that itself is a warning sign.' Impact According to Safeer, such fraudulent companies impact customer confidence. 'We do a lot of digital marketing advertisements,' he said. 'When fraudulent companies cheat people online, it impacts customer's trust and confidence in all the companies that market digitally. In this day and age where the most amount of business comes digitally, this is very harmful for our reputation.' Gafoor added that influencers and social media group admins should be careful about who they work with. 'There are many influencers who do advertisements for unscrupulous companies, advertising their visa services without realising that they could be held liable for misinformation,' he said. 'Some of the companies even post on popular Whatsapp and Facebook groups about their services. Admins of these groups should carefully vet members and be mindful of what is being posted in their groups.'