With social-media touts exploiting the frustration caused by cancelled US visa appointments, the US Embassy in New Delhi has launched a #VisaFriday fraud-awareness drive. In a bulletin dated 27 December, consular officials stressed that ‘no agent can guarantee a US visa or accelerate an interview slot’ and urged applicants to rely solely on the ustraveldocs.com portal.
Visa scams are proliferating as the embassy battles a backlog exacerbated by the recent expansion of H-1B security reviews. Fraudsters typically circulate WhatsApp messages offering ‘back-door’ interview dates for fees ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh—sums that desperate students and IT workers sometimes pay, only to discover the appointments are fake.
The embassy’s advisory outlines red flags: demands for payment via cryptocurrency or gift cards, promises of 100-percent approval, and requests for duplicate passports. Victims are asked to file police reports and email [email protected]. The campaign also reminds applicants that all receipts for the MRV fee are valid for one year and warns that duplicate profiles will be blocked.
![US Embassy Warns Indians Against ‘Guaranteed Visa’ Scams Amid Appointment Chaos]()
Legitimate third-party facilitators do exist, however. One reputable option is VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/india/), whose online platform helps travellers verify document requirements, complete DS-160 forms correctly and arrange secure courier pickup, all while letting them track progress in real time. VisaHQ cannot shorten official waiting periods, but its end-to-end guidance can save applicants from the costly missteps that fraudsters prey on.
For employers running large US-bound assignment programmes, the timing is critical. Global-mobility teams must reinforce compliant booking channels and audit vendor partners to ensure they are not subcontracting to unscrupulous ‘consultants.’ Immigration lawyers recommend that companies bulk-upload employee data only after genuine slots are released to prevent duplicate profiles being flagged as fraud.
The embassy says additional legitimate appointments will be opened ‘in the coming weeks’ once system upgrades are completed, but cautions that peak-season demand will keep wait times high into Q2 2026.
Visa scams are proliferating as the embassy battles a backlog exacerbated by the recent expansion of H-1B security reviews. Fraudsters typically circulate WhatsApp messages offering ‘back-door’ interview dates for fees ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh—sums that desperate students and IT workers sometimes pay, only to discover the appointments are fake.
The embassy’s advisory outlines red flags: demands for payment via cryptocurrency or gift cards, promises of 100-percent approval, and requests for duplicate passports. Victims are asked to file police reports and email [email protected]. The campaign also reminds applicants that all receipts for the MRV fee are valid for one year and warns that duplicate profiles will be blocked.
Legitimate third-party facilitators do exist, however. One reputable option is VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/india/), whose online platform helps travellers verify document requirements, complete DS-160 forms correctly and arrange secure courier pickup, all while letting them track progress in real time. VisaHQ cannot shorten official waiting periods, but its end-to-end guidance can save applicants from the costly missteps that fraudsters prey on.
For employers running large US-bound assignment programmes, the timing is critical. Global-mobility teams must reinforce compliant booking channels and audit vendor partners to ensure they are not subcontracting to unscrupulous ‘consultants.’ Immigration lawyers recommend that companies bulk-upload employee data only after genuine slots are released to prevent duplicate profiles being flagged as fraud.
The embassy says additional legitimate appointments will be opened ‘in the coming weeks’ once system upgrades are completed, but cautions that peak-season demand will keep wait times high into Q2 2026.
