NEW DELHI: A fake visa appointment racket was busted by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, leading to the arrest of three individuals who extorted large sums of money from foreign job seekers. The accused promised victims appointment letters and visas to various countries while impersonating employees of VFS Global.
VFS Global, headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, provides administrative solutions for governments to process passport applications and visa consular services.
The arrested individuals were identified as Ritesh Tiwari (28), Chandan Baranwal (26), and Dr. Azad Pratap Rao (23), all residents of Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh.
Sharing details, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Bhatia stated that a case was registered following a complaint from a VFS official. The complaint alleged that Parveen Sahoo and Ajeet Sahoo, operating through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Telegram, falsely represented themselves as VFS officials. They issued forged visa appointment letters in exchange for hefty sums of money from applicants.
"The accused misused the VFS logo in their online profiles and communicated with victims via fraudulent email IDs, further enhancing the deception," said Additional CP Bhatia.
A case was registered, and the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police initiated an investigation.
"The investigation was highly technical. All the online profiles used by the accused across various social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, were identified. It was found that they were using the VFS logo to claim they were authorized representatives of VFS Global, offering visa-related services," Bhatia explained during a press conference.
According to the officer, the accused accepted large sums of money from unsuspecting visa seekers under the guise of providing legitimate visa services. They targeted individuals seeking employment visas, a category known to be challenging to secure.
"The accused lured victims into transferring significant amounts of money to different bank accounts. They altered tourist or business visa appointment letters to appear as employment visa appointments before sending them to the victims," Bhatia added.
Details of six social media accounts used by the accused were obtained during the investigation. It was also found that multiple SIM cards, registered under different names, were used for these accounts, Bhatia said.
Baranwal, operating under the alias Parveen Sahoo, was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh on November 6. During interrogation, Baranwal revealed he was aided by Tiwari and Rao, according to police.
Baranwal and Tiwari collaborated to alter genuine appointment letters by changing visa categories, while Rao provided the bank account details where the defrauded money was transferred. Tiwari and Rao were subsequently arrested, Bhatia stated.
Tiwari, an MBA graduate from Gorakhpur, previously worked for a company engaged in immigration consultancy at Bhikaji Cama Place, Delhi. Along with Baranwal, he contacted victims through social media platforms and defrauded them, police said.
Baranwal, skilled in computer operations, edited and forged visa appointment letters, which were then sent to victims. Rao, a diploma holder in optometry, runs a shop in Kushinagar and provided logistical support, they added.
Meanwhile, VFS Global praised the Delhi Police for cracking the case and curbing fraudulent activities targeting visa applicants.
"As a responsible corporate entity, we have consistently worked to protect travelers and visa applicants from fraudsters. We appreciate the Delhi Police for this breakthrough and for addressing fraudulent activities targeting visa applicants. We advise travelers to beware of fraudulent entities making misleading promises regarding visa-related issues and to report such cases to law enforcement agencies," said Muktesh Chander, Senior Security Advisor, VFS Global.