Police warn of fraud with British entry permit – with false URL
You need an electronic permit to travel to the UK. The police themselves make a mistake when warning of a scam.
(Image: janews/Shutterstock.com)
A few days after the UK made an electronic entry permit a prerequisite for visits, the German police are warning of a new scam in which criminals are exploiting this for phishing purposes. In a press release, the Central Hesse Police Headquarters refers to the case of a woman who was defrauded, gives advice on how to apply correctly and refers to the correct website of the British government. However, due to a line break in the URL, the link leads nowhere.
99 US dollars for the criminals
As the police explain, the woman fell for a seemingly legitimate but fake website that she found via a search engine. She submitted an application for a tourist visa there and paid the requested fee of 99 US dollars by credit card. She was also asked to submit a photo and a copy of her passport. She also complied with this. Only after receiving the alleged confirmation of her visa did she become suspicious, block her credit card and access the website again. Her antivirus program then identified it as a phishing site, whereupon she filed a complaint.
Videos by heise
In view of the scam, the police advise people to use the official website. There are also links to the official apps for Android and iOS. People should not trust the first results in the search engine results lists; sites with the top-level domains .org or .com do not belong to the British government. Promises of a "fast visa" or a "guarantee" from private providers are dubious. The official application for an "Electronic Travel Authorization" costs just under 20 euros and the processing time is three days.
(mho)
