Australian Visa Scams

The scammer contacts the victim via a fake email address and pretends to be from the Department or another Australian government agency. The email address used by the scammer is not an actual service email address and ends with.

Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages, and income levels. The Department of Home Affairs provides detailed information on preventing immigration fraud.

See: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

Some of the recent scams and warnings we have come across are listed below.

Warning Signs

• The commercial lists handiest a primary call and number
• the organization or agent needs which you pay them a vast prematurely sum of money for an ETA or a Visitor visa
• you’re advised to get an ETA or Visitor visa for work
• you’re advised to installation a corporation and to use it for an Australian Business Number (ABN) to work
• the agent organizes faux files and photographs. The agent will need the handiest offer you with a handwritten agreement or handwritten agreement
• you’re promised an everlasting house in Australia
• the organization or agent makes use of the Australian coat of fingers on their internet site to misinform human beings into wondering that what they may be imparting is authorized via way of means of the Australian Government
• you’re advised you may be paid in coins handiest
• you’re informed you won`t be required to get an Australian Government Tax File Number (TFN). The organization or agent in Australia does now no longer have an ABN
• you’re provided a fee of pay underneath the minimal Australian wage, which all overseas people are entitled to.

If you choose to engage in visa fraud and do not go through official channels to apply for an ETA or Australian tourist visa, you risk:

• lose any money you originally paid to the agent
• Your ETA or visitor visa was refused or canceled
• Your visa was rejected, and you are prohibited from applying for another Australian visa for up to 10 years not allowed on flights to Australia
• Denied entry to Australia by the Australian Border Force at the Australian border
• Stuck in an Australian airport or city
• Exposure to forced or slave labor
• Not paid at all by the employer or agent
• He was located by the Australian Border Force and detained and deported from Australia
• Return home with much less money than when you arrived.

What to Remember

• There is only one official Australian Government provider of visas – the Department of Home Affairs (HA). HA’s official website is homeaffairs.gov.au.
• If you receive an email from the HA processing office in Australia, the email address must end in “@abf.gov.au” or “@homeaffairs.gov.au.”
• It is easy for illegal operators to copy an actual website or build one that looks professional. Even if one character is different, it can mean another website or an email address.
• You can pay the fee directly to the department and do not require an agent to pay this fee on your behalf.
• No one can influence the outcome of a visa application or the visa decision-making process. Visas are granted only by authorised officers from HA if the relevant visa requirements are met.

How to Protect Yourself

• Be suspicious if you are contacted by phone, post, email, or approached in person about a visa you did not apply for. The department does not contact people offering keys or asking for money to rectify a mistake. New information is constantly updated on the Department of Home Affairs official website homeaffairs.gov.au.
• If you wish to use an Australian migration agent, check they are registered on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority website (https://www.mara.gov.au)
• Never give or send anyone your original identity documents. Government departments may wish to view your original documents in person or may ask for certified photocopies but should never ask to keep your original documents.
• Never provide your personal, credit card, or banking details in an email or over the phone—scammers will use your details to commit identity fraud or steal your money.
• If you think you have provided your bank account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
• Never provide private information online unless it is a secure site, and you know whom you are dealing with. Certain areas are locked with a padlock in the browser window or secure URL at the beginning of the address (that is, https://)
• Job offers should be approached with caution and verified with the business in Australia.

Where to Report Incidents

• People with information about migration scams or illegal operators should contact Australian Home Affairs via http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about/contact/immigration-and-citizenship-online-report.
• If you are the scam victim, report it to your local police. You can also report it to the website run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
• ACCC’s website. See scamwatch.gov.au.