Reported increase in work visa scams in Bangladesh nationals

The British High Commission, Dakar has reported a rise in employment scams aimed at workers from Bangladesh. These scams typical involve the victim receiving a false offer of employment in the UK from websites and e-mail addresses for jobs that do not actually exist.

If victims respond to such offers, they will be provided with several false documents, often claiming to be issued by the Home Office or other UK government departments, before being requested to make payments to secure their “work permit” and “visa application”.

The fraudsters perpetrating these scams have been reported to typically use the following tactics:

• Setting up fictitious job offers using details of UK businesses who are not actually offering any employment;

• Using fictitious telephone numbers, names of officials and email addresses that may appear official but are not;

• Asking for a registration fee to secure a work permit and UK visa. There is no such thing as an ‘employee registration fee’ in relation to UK visas.

Advice provided by the government clarifies to those seeking employment within the UK that the following requests and actions are not genuine and are key indicators that the offer is fraudulent:

• Applicants being asked to deposit any payment prior to making a visa application. The correct entry clearance application process can be found at www.gov.uk.

• Applicants being asked to send your personal documents, e.g. certificates, bank details, professional details to anyone claiming to be from the Home Office or United Kingdom Visas & Immigration;

• Applicants being offered a job which includes obtaining a UK work permit and visa. A genuine employer would direct you to the official GOV.UK website, where you make an official visa application.

Official government advice also states that if an individual receives any suspicious emails or other communication from someone claiming to be from the Home Office and requesting personal information, to report them to their nearest local police station. Individuals may also report immigration or customs crime anonymously here.