The US Embassy in India has canceled around 2000 visa appointments after it discovered fraudulent activities.
The embassy cited violations by “bad actors” and suspended the associated accounts.
Visa appointments cancelled after US Embassy in India conducts investigation
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the embassy wrote, “Consular Team India is canceling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies.”
An internal investigation revealed that multiple agents exploited the system using forged documents and automated bots to secure visa slots. Following the investigation, the embassy has suspended these accounts.
Police case against fraudulent agents
On February 27, Delhi Police registered a case against several visa and passport agents after receiving a complaint from the US Embassy in India.
The agents allegedly submitted fake documents to facilitate visa approvals for applicants.
The embassy identified 30 agents that were linked to suspicious IP addresses between May and August 2023.
Ongoing investigation, US immigration crackdown
The probe into the visa fraud case is still underway. The move is aligned with the stricter immigration policies of Trump administration.
The new policies include a crackdown on illegal entries via the ‘donkey’ route (a term referring to unauthorized border crossings). Since taking office, the administration has deported many persons as part of its border security reinforcement.
