Last month, Indian migrant Swati Nagar who lives in Brisbane was duped of $6,000 in a phone call scam by someone posing as an immigration official. Ms Nagar said the person on the phone claimed she had made an error while filling out her immigration form and was required to pay the money or she would be deported.
A number of Indian migrants have been targeted by alleged fraudsters making such phone calls, threatening them with serious consequences such as deportation and hefty fines, at times posing as officials of the Indian High Commission or the Indian Consulates.
In a statement, the Consulate General of India, Melbourne said many cases have been brought to their notice.
“The caller usually state that local authorities are initiating proceedings against them and they would be deported to India.
“Then the caller offers help to the victim by urging him to transfer the money to a fraud account, stating that it as an account of a lawyer, which the Mission/Consulate has hired to take immediate pre-emptive action to help Indians,” the CGI said.
Cautioning members of the Indian diaspora against such fraudulent calls, it said the High Commission of India or the Indian Consulate does not make any such calls.
“[We] would like to caution Indian nationals and members of the Indian Diaspora to not respond or pay any money at the advice of fraudulent callers.”
If any Indian citizen receives such calls, they are advised to immediately write to the Consulate General of India Melbourne - at .
