TL;DR:
- Organised networks in India are issuing fake
Gulf job and tour visas, defrauding individuals of ₹23 lakh to ₹67 lakh per application. - Law enforcement recently disrupted major operations in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Surat, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar, and Delhi. These syndicates use forged medical documents, manipulated sponsor IDs, and doctored authorizations, often involving middlemen and local agents.
- Travel agents in India have even been blacklisted by the US State Department, indicating the international spread of such
scams . For Indians seeking legitimate Gulf opportunities, strict vigilance, government-verified agents, and embassy data checks are crucial.
A Rising Surge in Visa Scams
In early 2025, Mumbai airport authorities detained seven Indians attempting to board flights with counterfeit Schengen (not Gulf) visas arranged by Gulf-based agents. This incident highlighted sophisticated forgery capabilities, especially among unregistered operators in Gujarat. At the same time, Mangaluru police broke up a Karnataka-based racket, involving over 300 victims collectively defrauded of ₹4 crore, with forged sponsorship documents from a firm calling itself “Hireglow Elegant Overseas International”.
Major Cases with Real Victims
- A couple in Ahmedabad paid ₹37.5 lakh to an agent promising UK work visas, only to later discover them to be fraudulent.
- In Gandhinagar, a family lost ₹27 lakh to forged sponsorship letters and fake health certificates related to Gulf work visas.
- A ₹67 lakh scam in Surat targeted seven individuals, promising Gulf and New Zealand visas via an unlicensed consultancy.
- A large-scale operation in Delhi revealed a forgery syndicate issuing 5,000 fake visas worth ₹300 crore over five years.
- In Hyderabad, police found 14 doctored passports and visa templates used to facilitate illegal migration to the Gulf.
- Another probe in Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh revealed state-based agents tampering with legitimate Gulf work visas, effectively enabling visa tourism to bypass emigration rules. - These cases show a disturbing trend: exploited individuals and groups are being targeted by deceptive practises that rely on falsified government documents and the collusion of fake travel agencies.
How the Scam Triangles Operate
Middleman networks often use layered operations:
- Misleading promises: Individuals are told they can secure Gulf visas or sponsorship quickly.
- Agents and brokers: Unlicensed agents prepare passports and educational/medical documents to appear institutionally verified.
- Fabricated authorisations: Forged sponsorship details and ministry stamps are added to create a veneer of legitimacy.
- Ticket issuance: Agents secure actual plane tickets, creating an illusion of a real visa arrangement.
- Arrest or travel denial: Victims only discover the fraud at the airport or through employer check failures.
- The scale is alarming: a single operation in Delhi issuing 5,000 visas over half a decade shows organised, long-term planning.
A Broken Trust Cycle and Growing Overseas Harassment
Victims often find themselves financially ruined. Many receive entry bans or criminal notices upon arriving without legitimate visas. Even those deported are not always refunded as perpetrators vanish, leaving families without compensation. Alarmingly, the US State Department has imposed visa bans on several Indian travel agents for facilitating illegal migration. This signals that visa scam networks have extended into the global South, showing that the ripple impact of these operations spans across international borders.
Official Responses: Law Enforcement & Diplomatic Relief
Indian state governments and police units are actively disrupting these networks:
- Delhi: Authorities raided a passport-forgery hub in southwest Delhi, seizing forged visa stamps and arresting several people.
- Gujarat: Immigration and local police are building cases using the Kalol Chemist and Ors Prevention of Corruption Act (KCOCA) for fraud with state and central government institutions.
- Karnataka and Telangana: Targeted raids in Hyderabad and
Mangaluru have been launched to prevent livelihood scams aimed at Kerala and Andhra migrants.
Embassies and consulates across the Gulf have also issued travel warnings over high-risk visa brokers, urging Indians to use only registered and embassy-recognised recruitment agencies.
Key Warning Signs & Protective Steps
Anyone considering Gulf migration should apply these checks:
- Validate agency credentials: Ask for licensing from the
Ministry of External Affairs or state labour department. - Check with Gulf embassies: Use official websites to confirm visa processes and sponsorship forms.
- Review visa documents: Ensure visa format matches official letterheads and includes references like MRV and QR codes.
- Insist on formal contracts: Only proceed when you have legal, signed employment or sponsorship documents.
- Proceed with financial caution: Avoid lump-sum payments before visas are issued or flights booked.
If approached by an agent with promising offshore jobs at high costs, these steps can help avoid scams.
Why It Matters: The Human and Economic Cost
The impact is both personal and national:
- Emotional distress disrupts families and communities as individuals left stranded abroad or banned from re-entry.
- Economic loss: Many middle-class individuals remit money expecting to improve livelihoods, only to be financially collapsed.
- Reputation damage: If perceptions of Indians abroad decline, it may affect future migrant-friendly policies in Gulf nations.
- Diplomatic strain: Repeated infractions can put pressure on embassy resources and increase administrative hold-ups for actual job migrants.
Behind the glossy allure of Gulf work visas lie dark, predatory networks that exploit genuine aspirants. With huge sums stolen and thousands of fake visas issued, these scams are not fringe operations, they are organised fraud industries. At-risk applicants must follow official channels, verify documents personally, and remain alert to inconsistencies. Only then can they avoid falling prey and governments can curb such exploitation at scale.
FAQs: Protecting Yourself Against Visa Scams
- 1. How can I check if a visa broker is legitimate?
Verify if they are registered with the Ministry of External Affairs (India) or the state labour department. Embassy websites often list accredited agents.
- 2. What’s a typical red flag in these scams?
Lump-sum fees upfront, unreasonably fast processing, paperwork with no QR codes or official numbering, and any deviation from standard visa format.
- 3. What if I’ve already been defrauded?
Report immediately to local Cyber Crime cell and get an FIR registered. Notify the embassy or consulate of the Gulf country involved.
- 4. Are these scams concentrated in any Indian states?
Major fraud clusters have emerged in Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Surat, Gandhinagar), Delhi, Karnataka (Mangaluru), and Telangana (Hyderabad).
- 5. Can foreigners in India also be targeted?
Yes,anyone seeking overseas visas is vulnerable. The same syndicates sometimes promise tours, study visas, or migration to Canada, New Zealand, US, EU.
- 6. What legal changes are underway?
Indian states are invoking anti-corruption and crime laws and Gulf embassies are tightening visa agent accreditation.
