Student Visa Consultant Advance Fee Scam on social media

How it looks on social media, the red flags and what to do.

Social media scams use real-looking profiles, reels, ads and direct messages. The account may look old, and the comments may be bought. 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 on social media

• A giveaway that asks you to pay a small fee or share a code.
• An ad with a celebrity face and a payment link.
• A "friend" account that is a copy of someone you know.

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 social media message

• 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.
• The profile is new, or the followers are bots.
• The offer is far better than any normal shop or job.

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. Do not pay, share codes or move to another app.
5. Check the account: when it was created, who follows it, and whether the real brand links to it from its own website.
6. Report the account or ad inside the app and block it.

Use Report on the profile, post or ad. If money was lost, 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, email.

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