An expert, Alok Singhal, has said there has been an increase in visa scams in Nigeria due to a surge in travel demand.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP at an event recently, Singhal, the head of Operations, Sub-Saharan Africa, VFS Global, stated that visa applications have reached unprecedented levels as scammers are now posing as employees or agents, falsely offering early appointment bookings in exchange for payment, and targeting jobseekers and visa applicants.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report in collaboration with VFS Global, the African Travel & Tourism sector could potentially add US$168 billion to the African economy and create over 18 million new jobs. Hence, this growth depends on policies such as improving air infrastructure, visa facilitation, and tourism marketing.
Singhal disclosed this at a media roundtable event in Lagos, using the opportunity to warn travellers to stay alert and clear of fraud.
The lead visa application outsourcing and technology firm has introduced stricter measures to avert cases of swindling by fraudulent persons or agents disguising themselves as VFS Global officials.
Recent reports from Travel data show promising trends that outbound travel has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Tourism, family, educational, and business trips are the common reasons for outbound travel from Nigeria, with Canada, China, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia being the top travel destinations for Nigerians.
He, however, stressed that appointments are free and available on the VFS website while warning that applicants must be careful of agents and intermediaries who falsely promise early appointment bookings in exchange for payment.
He said, “VFS Global manages only the administrative and non-judgmental tasks related to visa, passport, and consular services for its governments. We do not play any role in the decision-making process for visas. This is the sole prerogative of the respective governments.”
He added that the availability of visa appointments, mandatory documentation, and visa application decisions, including the processing time, are entirely at the discretion of the respective governments.
The head of Operations, Sub-Saharan Africa, retorted that with the surge in travel demand from the country, visa applications submitted for various countries are at volumes higher than ever before. With the increase in demand for visa application appointments, scammers pose as employees or associates of the organisation or agents and intermediaries who promise an early appointment at an additional cost to embezzle jobseekers and innocent visa applicants alike.
Meanwhile, applicants are advised to arrive at the Centre 15 minutes before their scheduled time to avoid delays. “We strongly advise all applicants to be careful of touts and fraudulent parties who falsely promise early appointment bookings in exchange for payment,” he warned.
He alludes that scammers often misuse company logos and details to deceive travellers, which has led the firm to introduce stricter measures to prevent unauthorised access and scams.
The regional HR (Sub-Saharan Africa), VFS Global, Taiwo Dayo-Abatan, disclosed that the firm has been in operation for 23 years and is in partnership with 68 client governments regarding visa administrative services, which shows the size of the business globally.
She affirmed that when processing personal data, the outsourcing agent ensures personal data protection in line with the global data protection regulation and the local data protection principles of the partner government, especially for visa administrative services. The agent works with the local laws of the land in alignment with the UN’s ESG and SDG Goals, ensuring the quality of service with the ISO certification.
Abatan reiterated that the decision to get a visa does not lie with the visa application centre but with the decisions of the partner governments. “Our refund policy applies to any service fees and optional value-added service charges we collect from applicants as part of the visa process,” she said.
