Canada Visa Scam: Nadiad Man Duped of ₹78 Lakh
A resident of Nadiad has lodged a complaint with Ahmedabad's Navrangpura police, alleging that he and several clients were duped of ₹78 lakh in a Canada visa scam. The accused include six individuals from Haryana and Punjab, among them owners of an angadia firm.
The victim was initially contacted by an agent from Barnala via social media, who appeared credible due to his involvement in visa services. Trusting the agent, the victim transferred ₹1.5 lakh, only to later realize it was part of a fraudulent scheme. Subsequently, the victim was added to a social media group where multiple agents assured him that visas would be processed, with payments required only upon arrival in Canada. They provided documents and even gave pieces of currency notes as tokens, claiming they would be exchanged for the full amount once the visas were issued.
The victim referred several clients to the agents, who were instructed to deposit money as a 'security deposit', with the assurance that it would be refunded upon arrival in Canada. However, after months of waiting without receiving any visas, the victims realized they had been defrauded. Attempts to contact the agents proved futile as their phones were switched off, and they became untraceable.
The police have registered a case and are investigating the matter. Authorities have advised the public to exercise caution when dealing with online visa services and to verify the credentials of agents before making any payments.