A fake visa scam is one of the most common traps in Pakistan right now: a “guaranteed” visa for Canada or Europe, a fee sent to a mobile wallet, and then silence.
On 12 October 2026, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested 120 suspects at six call centres in Rawalpindi. They are accused of offering visas for Canada, Italy and other European countries, then handing people forged documents. About 800 phones and laptops were seized, and officials believe the victims number in the hundreds.
The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) has also reminded people that trade test centres cannot offer visas or jobs abroad. Only licensed Overseas Employment Promoters can recruit, and only with official permission.
How the fake visa scam works
- The ad. A Facebook, TikTok or WhatsApp post promises jobs or visas abroad: “no IELTS”, “100% approval”, “limited seats”.
- The call. A friendly “consultant” calls from a call centre. They sound professional and may send photos of other people’s visas.
- The documents. They ask for your CNIC, passport copy and photos. These can later be misused for SIMs, accounts or other frauds.
- The first fee. A small “registration” or “file” fee, sent to a JazzCash, Easypaisa or personal bank account.
- The fake proof. You receive an offer letter, visa letter or “embassy approval”. It looks real but is forged.
- More fees. Medical, insurance, ticket, “embassy charges”. Each payment is urgent.
- Gone. Numbers are switched off and the page disappears.
The same call centres often run romance and investment scams too, so the person you “met” online may be part of the same network.
Red flags
- The visa or job is “guaranteed”. No embassy and no real employer guarantees a visa.
- Payment goes to a personal account or a mobile wallet, not a registered company.
- The agent has no licence number, or will not share it.
- You are pushed to pay today because “seats are filling”.
- You never sign a proper contract and nobody mentions Protector registration.
- Contact is only on WhatsApp, often from changing numbers.
How to verify before you pay
- Check the licence. Ask the agent for their Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP) licence number and match it, with the office address, on the BEOE list of licensed OEPs.
- Check the job. Every legal overseas job ad carries a permission or tracking number. Search it on the BEOE foreign jobs portal.
- Check the visa route. Apply for visit and study visas only through the embassy’s own website or its official visa centre. Type the address yourself; do not click links sent on WhatsApp.
- Protector registration. Anyone going abroad on a work visa must complete Protector registration. An agent who skips it is a warning sign.
- Use our checker. Paste the message into the Digital Guard Scam Checker for a quick risk score.
If you have already paid
- Stop all further payments, whatever they threaten or promise.
- Call your bank or wallet helpline at once and report the transaction.
- Save evidence: screenshots, chats, numbers, receipts and the ad link.
- Report to NCCIA on helpline 1799 or at nccia.gov.pk.
- Ignore anyone who offers to “recover” your money for a fee. That is a second scam.
Our Get Help guide explains step by step what evidence to keep and how to file a complaint.
Share this with anyone in your family who is planning to go abroad. One message can save a family’s savings.