Beware

• There are many attempted frauds at present, often by email, faking a UK connection. Some of these apparently UK-based scams are in fact based overseas, but use forwarding addresses in the UK, international email addresses and UK mobile phone numbers. So although scams may appear to come from the UK, the perpetrators are actually based abroad in Nigeria or elsewhere.
• Most offers sent unsolicited by email are fraudulent.
• People who send share offers by email are often fraudsters.
• Any person or company who asks for bank account details online, or by phone are usually fraudsters.
• Any offer of cash – released in exchange for cash or bank account details – is likely to be fraudulent.

Job offers

• Genuine UK companies are registered and can be checked on www.companieshouse.gov.uk
• Anyone approached about a ‘UK’ job should phone the ‘company’ in the UK.
• Genuine UK companies would not give a mobile telephone number for contact details.
• UK company addresses can be checked on www.upmystreet.co.uk
• Most genuine UK companies would not use a "hotmail or yahoo" email account.
• The British Government does not send unsolicited emails with job offers, either directly or through agents. Any such approach is therefore from a fraudster. Government vacancies are advertised on our official websites, in the UK on www.careers.civil-service.gov.uk.
• Beware – some "job scams" are very sophisticated. Genuine UK company web-sites may be detailed within the scam, but the contact email details will be false. They may detail the genuine company name, but at the wrong address – for example: genuine website –www.ukvisas.gov.uk, but false contact details: ukvisas@hotmail.co.uk
• Beware – some job scams fraudulently use the names and job titles of genuine High Commission staff. A genuine email from an official member of staff will always be from our official service provider - @fco.gov.uk It would never be from a "hotmail or yahoo" type email account.
• Be prepared to undertake some general research in to UK jobs, terms & conditions of employment. Think about the credibility of any job offer that you have received. For example, a monthly salary of £4,000, plus benefits of free car at your disposal, free health insurance, free accommodation, free food, free flights for self & family members, plus generous annual leave entitlements, etc is simply not credible. UK employers simply do not offer these terms and conditions.
• Think about your "recruitment procedure". Very few genuine UK companies would offer a job by email. Genuine companies have a rigorous selection procedure, which would normally involve a face-to-face interview.
• How were you contacted by the UK company? If you happened to meet an employee in an internet chat-room, who subsequently offered you employment, then this is very likely to be a fraudulent offer.

Visa Fees and Procedures

• Current UK visa fees are published on the VFS website www.vfs-uk-za.com.
• Information & guidance on application procedures are published on www.vfs-uk-za.com
• Neither the British High Commission nor any of its staff would ever ask you for payment of fees directly. Visa fees are paid at VFS where all applications are lodged. There are no "additional visa fees".
• The UK government does not administer or charge for "additional services" such as Travel Insurance, Health Screening checks, Police checks, Home Land Security checks, etc. Any such charges are indicators of fraud.

What do you do if you have received a scam email?

• You should not pay any money
• You should not have any further contact with them. It might be tempting to enter in to a dialogue with these people, however you should not. These people are professional criminals; they will seek to exploit you. Even if you do not pay them any money, they might seek to steal or abuse your identity. Your best defence against these people is to ignore them and delete any emails that you have received from them.

What if I have already paid money to an email scam?

• You should report the matter to the South African Police Authorities.
• This is an international crime – investigations must be progressed through the South African police and Interpol.
• The UK police cannot become involved until they have been contacted by Interpol.
• The British High Commission has no jurisdiction to investigate or take out criminal proceedings in South Africa.