How to Spot an Immigration Scam

Breytenbachs bring you advice on how to spot an immigration scam. We hear many heart-breaking stories of persons who are victims of immigration scams.

Scammers are ruthless in their acts and methods. People are often desperate to believe the lies sold to them. Many people pay over money without thinking twice. They resign from their current jobs, believing that the supposed overseas job is real.

In one of the latest scams, job offers are made to persons outside the UK, asking them to send money in order to provide for the necessary immigration arrangements. These scammers are so cunning that they even make use of our company’s name in their supposed ‘job offers.’ Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants (BIC) are supposed to be the company taking care of the immigration side of the job offer to the overseas person. The email addresses used for Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants are, however, not those of BIC but hotmail.com or gmail.com addresses.

But how do you spot an immigration scam? The following tips might assist.

How to spot an immigration scam

Be wary if offered a job and no formal job interview took place. When something sounds too good to be true, it unfortunately often is!

Be wary if anyone asks you to pay over any monies for Home Office fees.

Do not provide anyone with your bank account or card details! Especially not to the supposed UK employer who wants to pay over the money for your (supposed) plane ticket!

Make sure the company offering the job is legit, by doing a background check on them. Check among your UK friends or family. Do an internet search, or telephone the head office of the company.

A legitimate UK employer or immigration agent will not make use of hotmail.com or gmail.com email addresses.

Some persons receive sham calls from immigration scammers pretending that they are from the UK Home Office. They are told that they are being fined a certain amount and asked to pay the ‘fine.’ They are also provided with a false name and return phone number of the ‘contact person at the UK Home Office’. These calls appear to be genuine and very convincing, and the scammers will ask you to pay the fine as soon as possible to avoid deportation, etc.

Trust your ‘gut feeling.’ If something feels ‘too good to be true’ or if you are uneasy for any reason, rather take the time to check out the situation than fall into the trap of these ruthless scammers.

How Breytenbachs can help you 

Scammers are unscrupulous and criminals. The methods they use might appear to be very genuine and convincing. If you are concerned that you might be a victim, contact us today!

Disclaimer

Please note that the information in this article does not constitute professional advice. It is provided for general information purposes without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied.

Please contact us today for further information or applications.

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