A private company on Sarat Bose Road that tried to book appointments online for Schengen visa interviews for two of its executives who were to visit Germany on an official trip was allegedly duped out of around Rs 37,000, police said.
The company tried to book the visas through a website that appeared on the top of a list of sites that a search through a popular search engine threw up.
A complaint lodged by an executive of the company with Bhowanipore police station said an employee who was trying to book the visas through the website, which promised “hassle-free” visas, had uploaded the passport and personal details of the two officials who were to visit Germany before making the payment through a link provided by the site.
However, when the applicants went to the visa agency office in Kasba — which is the only authorised firm to facilitate visas to multiple countries —they were told that the agency had not received any payment on their behalf.
Officers at Bhowanipore police station have started a probe based on the complaint.
A senior official of the company told The Telegraph on Sunday that the employee who did the booking had typed “Schengen visa online” and then clicked on the first link on the list that appeared on the screen.
“The website mentioned ‘govtassist.com’, making it look authentic. It promised hassle-free visa booking,” the official said.
“All details of the two applicants were uploaded on the website and $190 was paid for one visa application and $249 for the other. However, when the applicants went to VFS Global (the authorised agency that provides Schengen visas) on February 9, they were told that the agency had not received any payment or visa booking applications from the two officials.”
This website of VFS Global clearly mentions that appointments for visa interviews for countries that are covered by the Schengen regime can be booked online only through www.vfsglobal.com.
An advisory issued by VFS Global to warn applicants against fraudsters says the agency does not ask for personal details through phone calls, text messages or emails.
“Beware of fraudsters who tend to lure unsuspecting visa aspirants with fake website links similar to those of VFS Global. Verify the logo at the top to ascertain authenticity.
“Payments can only be made online on www.vfsglobal.com while booking an appointment or by visiting our Visa Application Centre. VFS Global never asks you for upfront payments via email, SMS, or call,” the says.
A senior police officer said applicants should be careful while selecting the link before making online visa applications.
“It is very important to select the authentic link. If there is any doubt, one should visit the agency in-person,” said an officer in the cybercrime cell at Lalbazar.
The company official said: “We have now become cautious. We had to apply for a visa to Saudi Arabia. This time we were very particular about the website we dealt with. We consulted someone who has been to Saudi Arabia and found that multiple websites were offering hassle-free visas at various costs. We selected the one which was suggested by the person who visited Saudi Arabia recently,” the company official said.