Warning from Immigration Dept: Dodgy migration agents.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

This is a very recent warning.

In the same way the people are being scammed by non existent rental comapnies...they are being taken right at the beginning of the process too by paying "migration agents" and then losing their money.

Tamara

 

 

Warning about dodgy migration agents

 

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Visa applicants have been warned again to avoid unscrupulous migration agencies targeting people interested in migrating to Australia, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash said today.

The repeated warning follows complaints to have recently resurfaced about AUSFIS, an offshore web-based migration agency. The agency is alleged to have induced individuals to pay for visa applications that were never lodged.

Senator Cash said the website invites people to register their interest by submitting an online web-form with their contact details.

'Once registered, applicants are contacted by phone or email and are asked to pay a fee ranging from $300 to $3000 via credit card in return for an ‘Immigration Package to Australia',' Senator Cash said.

'However, several users of AUSFIS's services have alleged that, once payment has been made, they either hear nothing further, or receive an email advising they are ineligible to apply for a visa.'

Where people have paid money by credit card to AUSFIS, or any other migration agency for a service they did not ultimately receive, they can contact their credit card provider and lodge a ‘disputed payment' grievance with them. The credit card provider may be able to retrieve all or part of the money paid.

'AUSFIS has no influence on visa decision-making and does not represent the Australian government,' Senator Cash said. 'The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has no record of visa applications lodged by AUSFIS and the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) does not list any registered migration agents connected with AUSFIS,' Senator Cash added.

Details of registered migration agents can be obtained from the MARA website.

See: Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority

More information on migration fraud is available.

See: Migration Fraud

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See: Index of Media Releases

URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/mc/2013/mc209139.htm

[thearmchairdetective]

One can never be too vigilant.

[Lazy Cow]

Wow! What a nasty, cynical way to scam people.

 

Thanks for the sensible reminder - and let's hope they didn't manage to defraud too many people (although obv. even one would be too many).

 

LC