THE U.S. Embassy in the Philippines has issued a warning about a visa scam circulating on social media, targeting potential visa applicants.
In a statement, the embassy clarified that they do not conduct any transactions through social media or direct emails with visa applicants to expedite visa approval. The embassy stated that scammers are offering fast-track visa approval in exchange for large sums of money.
The embassy explained that fraudsters are sending fraudulent emails and messages, posing as U.S. government employees, to deceive visa applicants and demand payments.
“Applicants must only follow the payment steps on our website. Other sources are not valid or legitimate. We urge individuals to be vigilant against visa fraud,” the U.S. Embassy stated.
“The U.S. Embassy communicates using email addresses that end in “@state.gov” or the “support-philippines@usvisascheduling.com” address. We will never directly communicate to applicants about a specific case from any other email address, social media, or other messaging platforms such as Facebook, Viber, or WhatsApp,” the statement added.
The embassy further clarified that the consulate does not request or accept visa payments via email, phone, social media, or messaging applications. All visa fee payments must be made through the travel.state.gov (immigrant visas) or ustraveldocs.com (nonimmigrant visas) portals. Payments can be made online within the portal or through cash at any RCBC branch after creating an account.
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