Student Visa Consultant Advance Fee Scam by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

Email is slower than SMS, so these scams usually pretend to be a bill, a refund, an account lock or a job offer and ask you to log in or open a file. Student Visa Consultant Advance Fee Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A study-abroad consultant promises a guaranteed admission and visa for a large advance. Learn how fake offer letters and fee stages trap families.

What student visa consultant advance fee scam looks like by email

• A button that says "Verify account" or "View invoice".
• An attachment such as a PDF, ZIP or HTML file you did not expect.
• A generic greeting instead of your name.

The agent builds trust with polished social media posts, photos of cheerful students and a smart office. He sends a long checklist and a few genuine-looking documents. The first payment is small, framed as a counselling or registration fee, and it comes with an official-looking receipt so the family feels the process has begun. A cheerful success story from a 'past student' is shared, which is usually a stock photo.

Red flags to check on the email

• A 100 percent admission or visa guarantee.
• Payments to a personal account or in cash instead of the institution.
• The consultant tells you not to contact the university directly.
• The offer letter arrives only after you pay, with spelling or format errors.
• Hover over the link: the address does not match the company website.
• The email asks you to log in through the link rather than through the official app.

What to do

1. Contact the university's admissions office through its official website typed by hand.
2. Ask for the offer letter in writing and confirm it with the university.
3. Pay tuition deposits only to the institution's official account, never to a person.
4. If you typed a password on the page, change it at once and turn on two-step verification.
5. Do not open the attachment and do not press the button.
6. Go to the company website by typing it yourself and check your account there.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with receipts, chats and account numbers.
2. Ask your bank, on the number printed on your card, to flag the transfer.
3. Tell the university about the forged letter so they can confirm it.
4. Visit the local police station and file a written complaint with all evidence.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's scam check can read the consultant's message and point out guarantee claims, pressure on payment and requests to avoid the university. The link check can show if an 'admission portal' link looks like a lookalike address. Money Shield offers a checklist before a large transfer. Safeavio cannot judge whether an agent is registered or a letter is genuine; that check must be made with the institution.

Full guide: Student Visa Consultant Advance Fee Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, phone call, social media.

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