Three Keralites stopped travelling to UK on Transit Visa to switch to Healthcare Visa (New Scam)

By A Staff Reporter

LONDON April 29: We have heard of several fraud activities by Keralites but it would be a first where three Keralites lost money after believing that they can come to the UK on Transit Visa and switch to healthcare visa.

This website received a call from a Renjitha from Kanjirapally to enquire about her upcoming interview with VFS Kochi for a visit to the UK on a Transit Visa. Renjitha informs that one of her cousins got her a contact in the UK who promised that they could get her to the UK on Transit visa and then get her some training and then switch her to the healthcare visa.

We enquired more with Renjitha on what was sold to her by this fraudulent agent. Renjitha, who initially was hesitant told us that she was told by this agent that they could get her to another European country but as that took some time now they could offer her a Transit Visa to UK. She provided us with copy of her Transit/Visit Visa appointment letter with VFS Kochi.

We requested Renjitha to provide us with the contact for her agent in the UK so that we could make contacts. The agent is a Saneesh and his number is 01245000041. We rang Saneesh stragithaway but the call wouldnt go through. The area code is Chelmsford in Essex. We informed Renjitha that we are unable to make any contacts and asked her to make more clarifications before she goes for her VFS appointment in Kochi. We also asked her to Google what Transit visa is. We sent her all UK government websites stating what a Transit Visa or Visit Visa holder could do for her to be enlightened.

After a while we called Renjitha and asked if she had checked about Transit visa and also checked what the UK government website states about visit visa and healthcare visa. Renjitha was waking upto reality now. Now we didnt make her feel bad. On gently asking if she had lost money she opened upto us and said that she and two others have paid around 2 lakhs each to the agent for this transit/visit visa.

We asked her to inform the other two persons who were planning to go for the transit/visit visa interview at VFS Kochi. She agreed with us.

By this time Renjitha was getting dejected and stopped taking our calls as she felt bad. We offered her all the links to the government website and signposted her to some websites where she can apply direct and also check details on how to come to the UK.

We called her after the day of the interview to check if she has attended the VFS Kochi interview for the Transit/Visitor visa. Renjitha didnt pick up the call. The next day we received a call saying that she didnt attend the interview and also the other three havent attended too.

We requested Renjitha to share any information she may have about the agent in the UK. The only information she had was the voicemails she received from the so-called agent in the UK explaining how the transer from visit visa/transit visa to healthcare visa would workout. See below the transcript of what the agent told Renjitha.

“Your visit to UK is for the purpose of getting Home care training. Once you arrive you will receive training for around 21 or 30 days. After the training you will be hired by one of the six agencies working with us.

Then he goes on to the say the firm helping her to come to the UK will place her in one of the six agencies.

“The salary scheme and package of all the six agencies are different as some of them are in private and some are under government sector. Government is better than private as benefits are much higher and I will let you know the difference in these two sectors in the coming days.

“But we will place you only under government sectors as that is beneficial for you

“There will be an interview and once the interview is over one of the agencies will offer you a sponsorship.

“You dont have to be worried as this recruiting organisation Sion is a Christian organisation run by the natives in the UK not a Malayalee organisation”.

The above is what the UK agent provided Renjitha as voicemail messages. We tried contacting Saneesh today even. The number is not in use at present.

The modus operandi keeps changing with the smart Malayalee community.

If you have heard such promises and also offers from an agent in the UK please think twice before exchanging any monies.

Have you been approached by any agents? Please do share your experiences with us on editor@ukmalayalee.com