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Refundee recovers £19,000 lost from visa purchase scam
Published September 2, 20260 min read
Amount lost
£19,000
Amount recovered
£19,000
Duration
6 months
Our client, looking to move their family over to the UK, found a visa service company who claimed they provided long-term work visas. They enquired to find out further details and spoke with a so-called visa specialist, who told them that they could obtain visas for their family.
They agreed a fee with the ‘specialist’ who said the money was for the visas, accommodation and all the paperwork.
The scammer provided falsified government documents, including fake visa appointment confirmations and employment letters, to deceive our client.
The fraud was uncovered when the individuals attended the supposed appointments and were informed that they did not exist. A family friend, who is a solicitor, reviewed the documents and confirmed they were fraudulent.
Refundee was there when they needed help
Our team provided expert support and guidance and we conducted a full review of the situation. We spoke with the client at length and confirmed the details of the fraud.
After some paperwork, we submitted a bespoke report to the client’s bank detailing why they should be refunded.
The bank initially rejected the complaint, which we then escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS agreed that the bank was at fault, and our client was reimbursed the full £19,000 they lost.
Summary
A fake visa service took £19,000 for work visas, accommodation and paperwork, backed by forged government documents and confirmations for appointments that did not exist. After the bank's rejection, the Financial Ombudsman agreed the bank was at fault and the full amount was refunded.
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