India Warns Of Passport Scams Involving Fake Websites, Agents Posing As Police Officers

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) India on Friday, October 16, warned the public about passport-related scams in which fraudster pose as agents, use fake websites and impersonate police officials to steal money and personal information.

In an advisory, India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said scammers may promise faster passport processing, guaranteed approval or immediate appointments in exchange for extra payments. Fake websites designed to resemble official passport portals may also collect application fees, Aadhaar details, bank information, and other sensitive data.

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Fraudsters may also pose as police officers and threaten to cancel a person's passport unless they pay a fine or share personal information. Others offer fake passport renewals, updates or delivery services in exchange for additional payments and copies of personal documents.

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India has advised residents to use only the official Passport Seva website, gov, and pay fees through the authorised portal.

It also urged the public to verify the identity of agents and service providers, keep personal information confidential and never share bank PINs, passwords or other sensitive details.

People should avoid clicking on unknown links, paying anyone who promises guaranteed passport approval or urgent processing, and responding to calls threatening passport cancellation or legal action.

How to report passport fraud

Anyone who falls victim to a scam can report it through India's National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at gov or call the cybercrime helpline on 1930.

For passport-related assistance, the Passport Seva helpline is 1800-258-1800.

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