Two agents with a base in Delhi are said to have exchanged INR 30,000 to INR 55,000 for the falsified documents. A group of seven applicants were apprehended by two vigilant security guards at the VFS Global visa application center (VAC) in Delhi while carrying counterfeit paperwork to seek for Schengen visas. The largest provider of technology and outsourcing services to governments and diplomatic missions is VFS Global.
On May 24, 2023, the tragedy happened at the Delhi VAC. The security officers were suspicious of the visa appointment letters that the applicants presented when they entered the facility, and they double-checked them against the applicants’ manifest and discovered that they were fake. Following investigations, it was discovered that the fake letters were produced by misusing the VFS Global brand and were allegedly purchased for INR 30,000 to INR 55,000 from Sharma Travels and Shiv Shanker, two Delhi-based agents.
An official police complaint was made at the IGI Airport Metro police station in Delhi in accordance with VFS Global’s zero-tolerance policy against visa frauds.
“This instance highlights the necessity to make informed decisions and to be aware of gray operators marketing phony appointments. Using every customer touchpoint available, VFS Global has regularly warned visa applicants about this danger. On a first-come, first-served basis, online appointments are free. According to Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, VFS Global, “given the unprecedented pent-up demand for outbound travel from India, it is advised to apply for visas as early as possible to avoid falling victim to such gray operators.”
He further stated that the business will keep a watchful eye out for outside fraudsters preying on tourists and would collaborate closely with law enforcement to lessen the threat.
Source: traveldailymedia