NRI Doctor Duped By Fake Indian Visa Scam Website

MUMBAI: A non-resident Indian (NRI) from Michigan, US, who travelled to India for her cousin’s wedding was stunned when her 12-year-old daughter was stopped at the Mumbai airport for possessing a fake visa. Police investigations discovered that she had applied for an e-visa through a website she believed to be legitimate but which was unreal.

The mother of the victim, Karishma Walvekar, resides with her husband and three children in Michigan, United States, and works as a physician, according to the authorities. The police reported that Dr Walvekar’s relative was planning to bring her daughters to her wedding on Wednesday. Dr Walvekar searched online for the website of the Indian government where she could apply for an e-visa for her eldest daughter Jiya, who did not have an Indian visa.

ALSO READ: The Less Talked About Immigration Scam

“I discovered the indian-onlinetravel.com website and filed my application there. I was routed to a payment page, where I paid $131.99 and received a notification that the visa was being processed. On December 11, I then flew to Mumbai and landed. When immigration officials requested our documents, I gave them a message stating that Jiya’s e-visa was being processed. In her statement to the police, Dr Walvekar said that the document was inspected and deemed a forgery.

The immigration authorities contacted the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai and issued Dr Walvekar a three-day temporary landing permission so she could book a ticket back to the United States. She subsequently reported the incident to the Sahar police.

ALSO READ: Step By Step Guide: How To File Cybercrime Complaint Online In India

“Since the complainant was in the United States when she discovered the fraudulent website and made the payment, the crime occurred within their jurisdiction,” said a senior police inspector at the Sahar police station.

He also said that Mumbai police has opened an investigation, but she had notified cops that she will also file a complaint with her local police station. Since the location of the offence is in a different country, transferring our FIR to their police station is likewise not possible.

An unknown individual has been charged with cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and other parts of the Information Technology Act.

Follow The420.in on

 Telegram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube