Home Office warns of scams involving fake visa officials

The guidance "Fraud, tricks and scams", published by UK Visas and Immigration (part of the Home Office), explains how to recognise attempts to defraud people by impersonating the department. The GOV.UK publication page shows it was last updated on 13 November 2026, with a short note saying the latest information about fraud and scams had been added.

The department says an unexpected email, phone call or letter from someone claiming to be from the Home Office may be a scam. According to the guidance, officials will never contact people to ask for money or personal details.

How the scams work

Criminals telephone people in the UK and abroad, run websites offering fake jobs, study places or guaranteed visas, and send emails and text messages from addresses and numbers that only look official. They may know a person's name, address or the fact that they have applied for a visa, which can make the contact seem credible.

The guidance lists several common scenarios:

• a job offer in the UK followed by a demand for visa fees; the guidance says a legitimate employer would never ask for payment to secure a visa,
• a call or visit from someone posing as a Home Office or visa application centre official, who warns of problems with a visa and asks for a quick transfer, for example by MoneyGram,
• an offer to speed up an application using forged documents, with a request to pay into a personal bank account,
• websites and email addresses designed to imitate official government services.

How to check a message is genuine

Official UK government websites end with "gov.uk" in their address. Home Office email addresses follow the format. Visa fees should be paid only online, through GOV.UK or the commercial partners it names. The department says it does not accept payments by email, at a visa application centre or into a personal bank account.

The guidance advises caution when an offer seems too good to be true, when a sender asks for cash or payment by digital voucher, asks for card details, or pushes for an immediate decision. In such cases, people should not share personal information, confirm any details they already hold, or pay.

What this means for you

The guidance is not limited to any one nationality. It applies to everyone applying for a visa or looking for work or study in the UK, and it names students as a frequent target.

If you receive an unexpected contact claiming to be from the Home Office, end the conversation, do not share your details, and report it to Action Fraud, either online or by phone on 0300 123 2040 (only if you are in the UK). Reports are passed to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.