Visa Scams

Scams…they are everywhere, and as we move to an increasingly digital world, they will only become more prolific and infinitely more sophisticated. Scammers (in all stripes) tend to need two things - an opportunity and a vulnerability to exploit. In terms of that last prerequisite, there are few people more vulnerable than those desperate to move to another country, and so there are plenty of scams that prey on unsuspecting, potential migrants, keen to do or pay whatever it takes to make that new life possible.

Just this week, Immigration New Zealand denied boarding to a group of 25 travelers from Bangladesh, all of whom held Electronic Travel Authorities (ETA’s) to transit through New Zealand. An ETA is not actually a Visa, although it is often sold as such in overseas markets. An ETA is simply electronic permission to travel here, but you still need to secure entry permission at the border. If you come from a visa-waiver country, the ETA will let you get on the plane, however you are still subject to being granted entry at the border. If you have a Visa already then you dont need an ETA, however you are still subject to entry permission, unless you are coming in as a Resident.

You can also secure an ETA to transit through New Zealand, if you are heading on to another destination or embarking on a cruise, however in this case you are not actually being given entry to New Zealand.

I have heard numerous stories where people have been told that all they need, to get to New Zealand is an ETA, including people who are not from visa-waiver countries. The ETA is often sold as a Visa, particularly in countries where English is not a first language and so applicants struggle to understand the terminology.

In the case of these 25 applicants from Bangladesh, INZ was able to intercept them and they were denied boarding in Dhaka. What the scammers often don’t appreciate is that arrivals are screened before they board and there are certain triggers that will alert INZ to something being amiss.

Scams, particularly in visa space, come in all varieties and can be quite sophisticated. From the fake Visas that have increasingly become hard to differentiate from the real versions, through to fraudulent employers with phony job offers, there is no end to the lengths that these people will go to, to lighten an unsuspecting applicants wallet. However unlike many scams, the potential consequences for these victims, who are often selling up their entire lives, can be devastating.

I have seen some very smart people, being fooled by some even smarter scammers, so this isn’t something that happens to “them” but could happen to any migrant, any time, anywhere.

Don’t Be Fooled

Migrating is a complex and challenging process, so if someone wants to sell you the “silver bullet”, think twice.

Too Good To Be True?

It is an old saying, but a very relevant one, because to make the move to New Zealand (or any other country for that matter) there are really no easy solutions. When someone offers you that “silver bullet” (usually accompanied by a hefty price tag) you need to ask yourself if this makes sense.

I can still recall a discussion I had with a former client (many years ago now) where he called me to say he wanted to change his plan and move to Australia - this was because he had been offered a great job there. I asked him about the job and then queried when he had undertaken the interview. He was quick to send me the offer letter, agreement and email correspondence from the employer. However when I pushed him on the interview, he confirmed he had never actually had one. This was a $140,000.00 a year job.

As I dug deeper, I realised what was going on, but was also very surprised by how sophisticated it all was. Basically the scammer had set up fake documents and a fake email account and had targeted my client with the job offer. On accepting the offer, he had been contacted by another “agency” to assist with the Australian visa application for a fee of $5,000.00. Thankfully he had not paid, but he was about to. I called the real company who confirmed that this wasn’t the first time someone had been in touch. It was a scam and a very good one.

To the client however, it was manna from heaven and all of his Christmases and birthdays had come at once. He was desperate to find a job and so this solved all his problems. My guess is that the scammers targeted him from a job search website or social media, seeing the vulnerability, they seized the opportunity. However the lack of an interview was the first sign that this was clearly a con.

I write about this all the time, in that migrating is a complex process and it challenges everyone, so obviously when you are offered something too simple, too easy and usually with a quick follow up request for your hard-earned cash, you have to be increasingly more vigilant (and skeptical).

Scams can also surface at almost every step along the way, whether it be the visa itself, the job offer, flights - there is no end and no limit to where people might try and put their hands in your pocket. Thankfully scammers are quite specific in who they target so it doesn’t happen to everyone, but the fact it can happen should give every potential migrant cause to be extra vigilant.

In the case of these 25 travelers from Bangladesh, there is little doubt that someone behind the scenes was exploiting their desperation to get to another country, and their lack of understanding as to how the visa process works and would have been compensated with a hefty chunk of change.

Put simply if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Do Your Homework

Scammers are becoming smarter, better and more prevalent, so it pays to check (and check again) before you commit.

What To Watch Out For

It might sound very obvious to some, but with most of our visa processes heading online and the human element being removed from the equation, it is quite easy to be duped. For example, the ETA process for New Zealand is completed online or via an App. However if you Google the term you will find an endless list of organisations offering to complete one for you (with a fee of course). Some of these are legitimate (although questionable given how easy it is) but others suggest that the ETA is for everyone and not just visa-waiver travelers. The New Zealand Government has tried to stamp these out, which is a bit like a game of digital whack-a-mole, squash one and four more appear.

For the less experienced (and desperate) traveler, it would be easy to be fooled in to thinking the ETA was your ticket to a new start.

However there are some easy ways to make sure you are both applying for the right visa and also through the right process.

• Firstly, you need to understand that nothing in the NZ immigration process is easy and so if you are being offered a quick, one way ticket it, then the most likely outcome is a smaller bank account.

• Check for the source. If you think you are dealing with the Government double check the email address, or the website URL. All Government sites in NZ end with .govt.nz

• If someone offers you a job, without having interviewed you (or you having applied for it) then something is wrong. There are usually always processes involved with recruitment and if you find you have skipped them all but magically secured a job, then that job probably doesn’t exist.

• If you are being asked to pay for parts of the recruitment or employment process, then something is wrong. In fact our visa instructions prohibit applicants from bearing any of the costs involved with the recruitment or accreditation process that employers need to go through.

• If you engage someone to assist you, ensure they are licensed (you can check here: www.iaa.govt.nz) and even if they are, check out any reviews you can find to confirm they know what they are doing.

• Lastly, do your homework. No matter how confident you feel, before you commit to anything or handing over any payments, make sure you have done your due diligence.

We are all becoming more used to watching for scams when it comes to banking and financial transactions and for my South African clients, looking out for a scam, is a bit like breathing. However for many people who embark on the migration journey, and will likely only do this once (if they do it right), they are suddenly exposed to a whole new world of systems, processes and terminology, making it very easy to become lost and also persuaded in to a con.

Stay alert, be smart and also consider bringing on board someone who can not only assist with the migration process, but also act as second pair of eyes and ears, checking that the job offer that just arrived in your inbox from a company you have never heard of is real.

Until next week!