Visa Application Scam
In this scam, third-party websites pose as official visa or travel authorisation services (such as ESTA, ETA, or eTA), charging inflated fees, adding bogus services, or harvesting your passport and payment details.
Quick verdict
What this scam usually looks like
In this scam, third-party websites pose as official visa or travel authorisation services (such as ESTA, ETA, or eTA), charging inflated fees, adding bogus services, or harvesting your passport and payment details.
Example message pattern
This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.
Red flags to watch for
- A non-official site offering to process visas or travel authorisations
- Fees far above the official price
- Search ads posing as official services
- Requests for passport and payment details
- Vague or no official affiliation
What to do
- Apply only through the official government immigration website
- Find the official site directly rather than via ads
- Check the official fee before paying
- Report impersonating sites to the authority
If you already clicked or replied
- If you overpaid, dispute the charge with your bank
- If you shared passport details, monitor for identity misuse
- Verify whether your application was actually submitted
- Report the site and keep evidence
What not to do
- Do not apply through non-official visa sites
- Do not pay inflated fees for travel authorisations
- Do not share passport details on unverified sites
Similar scams
Immigration Scam
This scam involves a caller or message posing as an immigration or border agency that threatens deportation, visa cancellation, or arrest over a supposed problem with your status. The aim is to frighten you into making an immediate payment or handing over passport and personal details.
Passport Renewal Scam
This scam uses copycat websites that imitate official passport renewal, visa, or travel authorisation services. They often appear in search results and adverts, look professional, and charge inflated fees for help with an application you could complete yourself. Some collect your card and personal details and never properly submit the application. Reaching the genuine government service directly, rather than through an advert or search link, is the safest way to renew a passport or apply for a visa.
Vital Records Scam
In this scam, third-party websites pose as official vital records services for birth, marriage, or death certificates, charging inflated fees, adding hidden subscriptions, or harvesting personal data without delivering documents.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I apply for a visa or travel authorisation?
Why do these sites charge more?
I used a non-official site. What now?
How do I find the official site?
Last reviewed: June 2026