How to spot visa scam and how to avoid being a victim

SBS Thai Exclusive: What signs should you look out for if you are being scammed by ‘fake’ migration agents while trying to obtain a visa to come to Australia? What you should do to protect yourself from visa scams targeting whose wishing to live and work in Australia?

Image for representation only Source: SBS

SBS Thai compiles tips and advice on this issue from Department of Home Affairs, ACCC, finder.com.au and Thai migration experts Joy Thaiphosri and Kanokwan Subhodyana.

Signs indicating that you are being conned

1. You have only a first name and a mobile phone number of the agent.
2. The agent wants to meet you somewhere other than their office and you don’t know the address of their office.
3. The agent asks only for money from you, without asking you for other supporting documents, such as English language test and education and work history.
4. The agent produces fake document and photos for visa applications.
5. The agent tells you that you can work even though you have a tourist visa.
6. The agent promises a ‘guaranteed’ Australian visa or an Australian permanent residency.
7. The agent asks you to pay cash only, without issuing any receipts or any formal written contracts.
8. The agent asks for unusually high fees, which are a lot higher than the visa fees indicating on the website of the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

What to do to protect yourself from falling victims to ‘fake’ agents

1. Only use registered migration agents and companies.
2. Check their MARN (Migration Agents Registration Number) at the website of Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
3. Check the reputation of the agent.
4. Ask your agent the full name and subclass of the visa he or she is applying for you and search for more information about the visa yourself.
5. Don’t pay cash to the agent, but pay through bank transfer and keep receipt of the payment.
6. Don’t share any personal details, back details and credit card details with the agent.
7. Don’t let the agent keep your original documents and identifications.

For more information about Australian visas and visa scam report, visit the website of the Australian Department of Home Affairs at https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.

To check if your agent’s Migration Agents Registration Number, visit the website of Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority at https://www.mara.gov.au.