Don’t fall in the hand of scammers, visa applicants warned
Leading Outsourcing and Technology service specialist, VFS Global has issued a warning to all applicants to be careful of miscreants and fraudulent parties who falsely promise early appointment bookings in exchange for payment.
VFS Global, Head of Operations, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Alok Singhal, disclosed this at media event in Lagos while relieving on the recent increase in travel activity between 2022 and 2024 with travel data showing promising trends.
He however noted that outbound travel has rebounded last year to pre-pandemic levels, with tourism, family visits, and educational and business trips being the common reasons for outbound travel from Nigeria.
Speaking on fast-track appointment, Singhal appeal to applicants to be wary of scammers who pose as staffs of VFS Global and promise an early appointment. Singhal emphasized that appointment slots are offered online based on the volume of demand or forecast and in conjunction with the Consulate’s internal capacity planning.
He said, “VFS Global manages only the administrative and non-judgmental tasks related to visa, passport, and consular services for its governments. We do not play any role in the decision-making process for visas. This is the sole prerogative of the respective governments.”
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He added that the availability of visa appointments, mandatory documentation, and visa application decisions, including the processing time, are entirely at the discretion of the respective governments.
VFS Global’s commitment to technological innovation has been instrumental in streamlining visa processes and enhancing efficiency. By leveraging generative AI and other advanced technologies, the company has been able to optimize operations and provide better services to both governments and applicants.
The regional HR Sub-Saharan Africa VFS Global, Taiwo Dayo-Abatan, disclosed that the firm has been in operation for 23 years and is in partnership with 68 client governments regarding visa administrative services, which shows the size of the business globally.
She affirmed that when processing personal data, the outsourcing agent ensures personal data protection in line with the global data protection regulation and the local data protection principles of the partner government, especially for visa administrative services. The agent works with the local laws of the land in alignment with the UN’s ESG and SDG Goals, ensuring the quality of service with the ISO certification.
